Assessment & Evaluation Policy

00Introduction

Assessment is the process of gathering information from a variety of sources (including assignments, demonstrations, projects, performances, and tests) that accurately reflects how well students are achieving the curriculum expectations. As part of assessment, teachers provide students with descriptive feedback that guides their efforts towards improvement.

Evaluation is the process of judging the quality of the student's work on the basis of an established achievement criterion, and assigning a value to represent that quality. In Ontario secondary schools, the value assigned will be in the form of Levels 1-4 culminating in conversion of a percentage grade. Examination and evaluation will be based on the provincial curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in the secondary curriculum policy documents.

01Ontario's Mandatory Requirements

Ontario's mandatory assessment and evaluation requirements for secondary students are intended to provide a more consistent approach to assessment and evaluation for students in Grades 9 to 12, while continuing to support all students to reach their full potential, prepare students for their pathways after high school, and support student well-being.

The evaluation for this course is based on the student's achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning. The percentage grade represents the quality of the student's overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student's grade is 50% or higher.

Achievement Levels & Percentage Mark Range

021.1 Final Grades

The final grade for this course will be determined as follows: Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, most secondary courses will require written exams as a percentage of the final course mark. All written final exams from Grades 9 to 12 will take place during the designated exam period, with the exception of the EQAO Grade 9 mathematics assessment.

Grades 9 and 10 Breakdown

Grades 11 and 12 Breakdown

031.2 Attendance and Participation

To recognize the impact that student presence in class has on achievement, final student grades will reflect attendance and participation. Excused absences do not negatively affect a student's mark. Excused absences are absences from school that are permitted under legislation or school policy (e.g., illness, inclement weather, cultural/holy days).

1.5 Attendance and Accommodations

Use the Ministry's current attendance and participation criteria, distributed with course information. Maintain dated evidence and distinguish excused from unexcused absences. Students may request correction of records. Use actual course schedules rather than fixed semester absence counts. Provide documented accommodations for disabilities, learning needs, and English language learners across courses. Participation opportunities must be accessible. Accommodations do not change expectations. Before modifying expectations, the principal determines and communicates credit implications. Contact students and families when support is needed.

041.3 Reach-ahead

Under exceptional circumstances, a student in Grade 8 may be given permission to "reach ahead" to take secondary school courses, either during the school year or in the summer before Grade 9. The decision is made on a case-by-case basis by the principals of the elementary and secondary schools involved, subject to parental consent.

051.4 Online and Remote Learning

For the Grade 10 Career Studies course delivered in an online or remote learning format, the Financial Literacy Graduation Requirement is to be administered in person at the student's home school location, unless the course includes online proctoring with security and integrity.

School boards will coordinate to determine the timing and location of in-person administrations and communicate this at the start of the course. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure their child attends in person. TVO's Independent Learning Centre and inspected private schools may administer the requirement through online proctoring.

061.6 Examinations and Missed Evaluations

Publish examination periods for every applicable term, including courses ending outside January and June. Final evaluations assess overall course expectations and follow prescribed formats and weights. The principal reviews exams, marking guides, and accommodations. Verify identity, supervise completion, secure materials, and document incidents; online proctoring must preserve integrity and privacy.

Students must remain available during published examination periods. Exceptional scheduling requires principal approval. Report a missed or interrupted evaluation promptly. The teacher and principal consider the reason, supporting information, accommodations, and an equivalent, secure opportunity to complete the evaluation. A medical certificate is not automatically required in every case.

An excused absence does not automatically produce a zero. For unresolved non-completion, document follow-up, the decision, and its effect on the mark or credit. Do not remove or reweigh required evaluations without authority.

071.7 Late Work and Academic Integrity

For late or missing work, establish the reason, communicate with the student, and consider support, staged submissions, reasonable extensions, or equivalent tasks. Record significant interventions. Do not use automatic percentage deductions or incident-count rules that prevent consideration of individual circumstances. Justify any deduction and do not let it misrepresent achievement; significant consequences require principal review.

Students submit authentic work, acknowledge sources, and follow communicated collaboration, device, and AI rules. Investigate suspected misconduct and allow an explanation. Consider grade level, maturity, incident history, and individual circumstances. Responses may include instruction, supervised replacement work, or a permitted mark consequence. A detection-tool result alone does not establish misconduct. Document findings and the review route.

081.8 Reporting and Oversight

Issue reports at course midpoint and completion, plus any additional required reports. Communicate concerns early and provide required final reports to the OSR-holding school. Apply current reporting rules for insufficient evidence, including "I" only, which was permitted in Grades 9-10. Students may seek teacher explanation and principal review of marks; retain reasons for decisions and corrections.

Keep assessment evidence and records securely under applicable retention rules. Before implementation, the principal reconciles related policies, approves course calculations, and briefs staff. Sample records each term and review this policy annually or when Ministry direction changes.

092. Assessment Strategies

Assessment is embedded within the instructional process throughout each unit rather than being an isolated event at the end. Often, the learning and assessment tasks are the same, with formative assessment provided throughout the unit. In every case, the desired demonstration of learning is articulated clearly and the learning activity is planned to make that demonstration possible. This process of beginning with the end in mind helps keep focus on the expectations of the course.

During this process, the teacher seeks information from the students to decide where the learners are and where they need to go. The teacher fosters the capacity of the students, establishes individual goals for success with each one of them, and reports students' results in accordance with established criteria to inform how well students are learning.

Approaches to Teaching/Learning