Literacy Requirement

Ontario Secondary School LitEracy Test (OSSLT)

All students must successfully complete the literacy requirement in order to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. For most students, this requirement will be met through the administration of the Literacy Test, which is usually occurs during a student's Grade 10 school year. 

The test is based on Ontario curriculum expectations for language and communication, particularly reading and writing, up to and including Grade 9.

Students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT will have opportunities to retake the test in subsequent years.  There is no limit to the number of times the test may be taken.

Accommodations for Students with Special Education Needs

School boards must provide accommodations that enable students who are receiving special education programs and services and who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to have a fair and equal opportunity to successfully complete the OSSLT.

Accommodations change only the way in which the OSSLT is administered or the way in which the student responds to the components of the test. They do not alter the content of the test or affect the validity or reliability of the test.

To qualify for accommodations during the OSSLT, a student must have an IEP that outlines accommodations to be provided during the test that are also necessary for and consistent with regular classroom practices and that are provided for all of the student's assessments.

Decisions about accommodations must always be made on an individual student basis prior to the taking of the OSSLT, and must be made by the principal in consultation with the student, the parents/guardians (if the student is under the age of 18), and appropriate staff (including special education and professional support services staff).

Deferrals

Deferrals are intended for students who are working towards an OSSD and who have not yet acquired a level of proficiency in English that would allow them to successfully complete the test. Such students could include:

• students who have been identified as exceptional by an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) and who would not be able to participate in the test even if all accommodations were provided,

• students who are English language learners and have not yet acquired a level of proficiency in English sufficient for participation in the test, or,

• students who have not been successful in acquiring the reading and writing skills appropriate to Grade 9.

Deferrals may also be granted to students who are unable to write the test at the scheduled time owing to illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstances, or to students who are new to the school and cannot be provided with the appropriate accommodations in time for the test. Documentation must be submitted to the principal of the school in such cases.

Exemptions

To be eligible for an exemption, a student must have an IEP. The IEP must include documentation to support an exemption from the literacy graduation requirement and a clear indication that the student is not working towards an OSSD. 

Both parental consent and the approval of the principal are required for an exemption.

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC)

Students may also meet the literacy requirements for graduation by successfully completing the OSSLC. This course is designed to help students acquire and demonstrate the cross-curricular literacy skills that are evaluated by the test.

Students will read a variety of informational, narrative, and graphic texts and will produce a variety of forms of writing, including summaries, information paragraphs, opinion pieces, and news reports. Students will also maintain and manage a portfolio containing a record of their reading experiences and samples of their writing.

If a student has had the opportunity to take the OSSLT at least twice and has not been successful at least one time, the student is eligible to enrol in the OSSLC. Principals have the discretion to allow a student to enrol in the OSSLC before they have had a second opportunity to take the OSSLT, if the principal determines that it is in the best educational interest of the student.

The credit earned for successfully completing the OSSLC may also be used to meet the Grade 11 or 12 compulsory credit requirement in English.

Literacy Adjudication Process

At the end of the school year, a school board adjudication panel may provide certain students with an additional opportunity to meet the literacy graduation requirement. These students include those who would otherwise be eligible to graduate but, through no fault of their own, have not been able to take advantage of the normal opportunities to write the OSSLT and/or have not been able to enroll in or complete the OSSLC, due to unforeseen circumstances.

Students who were receiving special education programs or services, and who had an IEP documenting required accommodations, but, due to unforeseen circumstances, did not have access to these accommodations when they were taking the OSSLT, are also eligible for the adjudication process.