b) The provincial secondary school literacy requirement:- 

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test 

All students at Windsor Islamic High School seeking to graduate with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) are required to complete the Provincial Secondary School Literacy Diploma Requirement.

• In the spring of their Grade 10 school year, students will write the Ontario SecondarySchool Literacy Test (OSSLT).

• Students must pass the test in order to graduate from secondary school and earn a diploma.

• The OSSLT is based on the Ontario curriculum expectations for language and communication – particularly reading and writing – up to and including Grade 9.
• The test determines whether students have acquired those skills necessary for literacy and whether they have attained the provincial expectations for literacy.
• Students unsuccessful on the first attempt may rewrite the test. There is no limit to the number of attempts a student may make.
• Once successful, the student cannot take the test again.
• Students who have been eligible to write the OSSLT at least twice and who have been unsuccessful at least once may satisfy the Provincial Secondary School Literacy Diploma Requirement by successfully completing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC).Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OLC4O1) The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) is a full-credit Grade 12 course that will be offered as part of the English program in Ontario secondary schools. This course is designed to help students acquire and demonstrate the cross-curricular literacy skills that are evaluated by the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Students who complete the course successfully will meet the provincial literacy requirement for graduation. 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.Eligibility requirement:
  Students who have been eligible to write the OSSLT who have been unsuccessful at

  least once are eligible to take the course. (Students who have already met the literacy requirement for graduation may be eligible to take the course under special circumstances, at the discretion of the principal.)
  Please note: Though OLC4O1 can be counted as a compulsory Grade 12 English credit for the OSSD, credit in the course does not fulfill the Grade 12 English requirement for post-secondary admission.

  Deferrals for the Provincial Reading and Writing Test:

Deferrals:

Students who might benefit from a deferral of the test may include students who have been identified as exceptional and students registered in English as a second language/English literacy development courses who have not yet acquired the level of proficiency in English required for successfully completing the test. The principal determines if a deferral should be granted and time period for the deferral.

c) Community Involvement Requirements and Procedures:

In order to develop a sense of civic responsibility and community values, students at WINDSOR ISLAMIC HIGH SCHOOL must complete a minimum of 40 hours of Community Involvement prior to graduation.

• Community Involvement is a graduation requirement for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
• School staff will discuss appropriate types of Community Involvement activities and projects with students and may offer suggestions, but the selection and management of the involvement is to be directed by the student.
• All activities before commencement must be recorded in the Student Log Book and approved by the school office.
• Activities may take place inside or outside the school; those which occur inside the school may not be part of a credit program.
• Activities may take place during the school day, but must occur outside the student’s scheduled course time, that is, during the lunch hour, or before or after classes.
• Student fundraising, and acting as a student assistant, tutor, or peer helper or mediator within the school all qualify as Community Involvement activities.

• Volunteer activities, tutoring, fund-raising, coaching, or other work with community groups or charitable organizations all qualify as Community Involvement, as long as the student is not paid for the work done.
• Independent activities in the community may count, such as visiting, helping out, and picking up groceries or supplies for an elderly or disabled neighbour; shovelling snow or raking leaves, etc. Documentation must be received from the community member, and no payment of any kind may be received for these activities.
• Organizations or persons supervising the activities must confirm completion of the 40 hours. Documentation attesting to the completion of each activity must be submitted. This documentation must include for each activity the name of the person or organization receiving the service, the activity performed, the dates and hours, signatures of the student and his or her parents and a signed acknowledgement by the person (or representative of the organization) involved
• The deadline date for completing Community Involvement Requirements is April 1st of their graduating year.1-Ontario Secondary School Certificate:
• The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma provided they have earned a minimum of 14 credits (distributed as follows)

Substitutions may be made for a limited number of compulsory credit courses using courses from the remaining courses (offered by the school) that meet the compulsory credit requirements. To meet individual students’ needs, principals may replace up to three compulsory courses (or the equivalent in half courses).

2-Certificate of Accomplishment/School to Work Certificate: 

Students who leave school before fulfilling the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate may be granted a Certificate of Accomplishment. This certificate may be a useful means of recognizing achievement for students who plan to take certain vocational programs or other kinds of further training. Students who return to school to complete additional credit and non- credit courses will have their transcripts updated, but will not be issued a new Certificate of Accomplishment.

3-Definition of a Credit: A credit is the recognition of the successful completion of a course for which a minimum of 110 hours are scheduled. A credit is granted to a student by the principal of a secondary school on behalf of the Minister of Education.

Credits in English as a Second Language: 

Students are allowed a maximum of 3 ESL credits toward an OSSD. In addition students must take either an ENG Grade 11 or ENG Grade 12 course for a total of 4 mandatory English credits toward an OSSD. ENG4U is required for university acceptance.

4-Definitions of Types of Courses (Ontario Curriculum)

Four types of courses are offered in Grades 9 and 10: 

1. Academic courses emphasize theory and abstract problems.
2. Applied courses focus on practical applications and concrete examples.
3. Open courses are designed to prepare students for further study in certain subjects and to enrich their education generally.
4. Locally Developed courses prepare students for the Grades 11 and 12 Workplace Preparation courses.

Five types of courses are offered in Grades 11 and 12: 

1. Open courses are appropriate for all students regardless of post-secondarydestination. They are not designed with the specific requirements of a post-secondary destination in mind.
2. Workplace Preparation courses are designed to prepare students for a variety of jobs, training programs and careers. These courses emphasize workplace applications but also explore theoretical material underlying practical applications.
3. College Preparation courses are designed to prepare students for most college programs and related careers.
4. University/College Preparation courses are designed to prepare students for entrance requirements for specific university and college programs, and related careers.
5. University Preparation courses are designed to prepare students for entrance requirements for university programs and related careers.

5-Course Coding System: 

The course code consists of a course title and a sixth character code: the Ministry of Education designates the first five characters. The sixth character is determined by the school.

• The first three characters refer to the subject and specific area: ENG is English, SPH is Science Physics, etc
• The fourth character refers to grade : 1- 4 means Grade 9-12
• The fifth character refers to the type of course such as Academic, Applied etc.
• The Sixth character (if present) for school to decide, if needed.

6-SEMESTERED AND FULL-YEAR SCHOOLS: 

• Secondary schools are generally organized on either a full-year model (non-semestered) or a half-year model (semestered).

• Students In a full-year non-semestered secondary school usually study eight courses from September to June. The year is divided into two or three terms for examination and reporting purposes.
• Students in a half-year semestered secondary school (like Windsor Islamic High School) usually study four courses from September to January (First Semester), and four courses from February to June (Second Semester), with examinations and reports at the end of each semester.

WIHS is Half-year Semestered Secondary School