Student Success Supports and Programs

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Overview of Supports for Student Success

The focus of education is to ensure that all students have a  positive outcome in school. To this end, the Ministry of Education and school boards have implemented many initiatives to help students stay in school to complete their high school education.

Student Success Teams

At each school, a dedicated team of a principal, student success teacher, guidance counsellor and special education teacher provides extra attention and support for individual students who need it. The teams are for students facing barriers to success, who need extra attention to help them graduate or who are looking for new challenges in high school.

Students can:

  • benefit from individualized attention and support
  • choose from more options for learning, such as co-operative education, Specialist High Skills Major, Dual Credits Program, Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, and online learning
  • seek help in solving problems they previously may have faced alone

Student Success Programs

Students in the RRDSB can access a number of programs to help them achieve success in their secondary educational journey to postsecondary pathways. 

Alternative Pathways
Cooperative Education
Credit Recovery
Dual Credits
eLearning
Experiential Learning
Independent Learning Supports
Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)
Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (OYAP-FAST)
Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM)

Alternative Pathways

Alternative Pathways programs are for students who have become disengaged from schools, are experiencing some barriers to success at school or have been out of school for a period of time. Please contact the principal at your school for information on alternative programs available. 

Cooperative Education

Cooperative education allows students to earn credits towards their OSSD and gain work experience by completing a work placement related to a pathway of interest. Students in any pathway, including apprenticeship, college, community living, university or direct entry to the workplace may consider including Cooperative education credits as part of their secondary school plan.  Depending on the school year a student started, 1 or 2 Cooperative education credits may count  as compulsory credits (see OSSD requirements). 

Students may earn up to 11 or 12 credits through cooperative education, though the decision to earn many Coop credits should be made in consultation with a student’s Guidance counsellor and family where applicable, as it could impact on that student’s ability to apply directly to post-secondary programs. 

Participation in cooperative education is also a requirement for participation in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and OYAP-FAST. At least two credits of Cooperative education are required for successful completion of a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM).

For more information about Cooperative Education in Ontario schools, visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/cooperative-education-co-op-courses

Credit Recovery

The Credit Recovery program helps students complete the expectations of a course for which they have received a failing grade. Students selected for this program are identified on an individual basis by the Student Success Team. 

Students in the Credit Recovery program complete specific tasks that focus on overall curriculum expectations of the credit they are recovering. In most cases students complete this work independently, students do receive support and guidance from the credit recovery teacher. The goal is to ensure that students are able to meet curriculum expectations and are prepared to move forward along their chosen program pathway.

These programs:

  • Focus on improving learning skills.
  • May target particular overall curriculum expectations that students have failed to achieve.
  • May involve the recovery of more than one credit.
  • Can involve both independent and group learning.
  • May be combined with remedial programs, and may accommodate continuous intake.

Dual Credits

Dual credit programs are Ministry-approved programs that allow students, while they are still in secondary school, to take college or apprenticeship courses that count towards both the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and a postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree, or an apprenticeship certification. Up to 4 elective dual credits may be earned. 

Dual credit programs are designed for students who wish to enhance their education through a college experience or for students in need of learning opportunities outside of the secondary school. The program  engages senior students through exposure to college courses and culture while supporting their transition to post-secondary.

Most RRDSB dual credit programs are team-taught by a high school teacher and a college instructor, and are linked to grade 11 or 12 secondary courses that students select and take as part of their regular high school timetable. Students are enrolled in a related college course and receive instruction leading to a college credit concurrently with their high school credit. Programs include reach-ahead opportunities - for example, visiting a college campus to explore post-secondary pathways.

College-taught dual credit programs may also be available, where students enrol in a college course taught by a college instructor, with the support of a high school teacher. Students earn the college credit as well as a high school credit towards their OSSD concurrently. 
Dual Credit program options can vary from school to school and from year to year. The Guidance department can be contacted for more information on available programs at each school. 

eLearning

The Rainy River DSB provides the opportunity for students to earn credits through e-Learning in a secure environment, with supports offered by their home school as needed. Online learning provides a number of unique experiences for students, including:

  • allowing students to learn in a more independent, flexible environment;
  • supporting inquiry and project-based learning;
  • developing skills required for learning in the 21st Century.

The RRDSB is part of the Ontario e-Learning Consortium (OeLC), giving its students access to a wide range of online courses from grades 9 through 12 to meet their interests and academic needs. To get an idea of the range of courses available, visit the OeLC site at:
https://ontario.prismsis.com/oelc

If you would like to take an online course, please see your Guidance Counsellor. Your Guidance Counsellor will work with you to ensure you have the necessary program prerequisites, access to the required hardware and software, a course mentor, and in-school supports for you to succeed.

For more information on e-Learning in the RRDSB visit:  https://sites.google.com/gapps.rrdsb.com/pathways/high-school-programs/elearning

Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning includes all planned learning experiences that connect students to their local, regional, national, and global communities in and outside of the classroom. These experiences can include Cooperative Education, work experience, job twinning, job shadowing, and virtual platforms such as Connected North. Experiential Learning can assist all students in developing the knowledge, skills and attitude that are essential in today’s society. Regardless of the post-secondary destination, experiential learning can help students make key decisions around potential education and career / life choices. 

Independent Learning Supports

Each secondary school in the RRDSB provides an opportunity for some students to complete some locally developed, applied, open and college stream courses independently, with the support of a teacher. These programs are located in the school and are offered on the same timetable, allowing eligible students to take a mix of regular classroom and independent learning courses as needed.
Students are referred through special education, the guidance office and administration based on their personal academic needs. A limited variety of courses are available at all grade levels, and they are designed to assist students in the completion of their secondary diploma or certificate. Students are considered for this class on a case by case basis. Although consideration is extended for some situations, it should be clearly understood that regular attendance and a strong work ethic are mandatory.

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)

The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) allows students to earn credits toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) by taking a cooperative education course for which the community component is in an apprenticeship trade. A key feature of OYAP is also the promotion of skilled trades and apprenticeship as a "first choice" pathway for students after graduation, on par with college or university programs.

To participate in OYAP a student must:

  • be enrolled in secondary school full-time or part-time;
  • be at least 15 years old
  • have at least 14 secondary credits
  • be enrolled in a Cooperative Education course through their school, where the placement is in a skilled trades setting;
  • complete and sign an OYAP Participant form (they will then be registered with the MLITSD)

be working towards an OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma).

Once they are an OYAP Participant, a student has the opportunity to become an OYAP Apprentice by entering a registered training agreement (RTA) with their employer while attending secondary school. There may be opportunities for OYAP Apprentices in certain trades to complete their Level 1 training while earning credits towards their OSSD before graduation.

To participate in OYAP, students need to select Cooperative Education for their grade 11 and/or grade 12 year(s). The Co-operative Education teacher will work with them to find a suitable skilled trades placement. Once in the Co-operative Education course, they will be provided with the OYAP Participation form that must be completed, signed, and returned at the start of their placement.
When an OYAP Participant graduates and leaves school, they will receive a certificate and letter that includes the trade they participated in, the employer, and the number of Co-op hours they spent in their OYAP placement. 
For more information visit the RRDSB OYAP Page, contact Guidance, or the RRDSB OYAP Recruiter.

Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (OYAP - FAST)

Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (OYAP-FAST) is an accelerated stream within OYAP that will allow students in Grades 11 and 12 to participate in more apprenticeship learning through additional co-operative education credits while completing their OSSD.

To participate in OYAP-FAST, students must:

  • Meet the OYAP eligibility requirements

Have signed parent/guardian consent to participate in OYAP-FAST

Completion requirements for OYAP-FAST include that a student has:

  • Earned 8 to 11 cooperative education credits with their placement component in the skilled trades.
  • Registered as an apprentice (obtained a Registered Training Agreement (RTA))* by the time they complete their eighth cooperative education credit.

*Please note that signing an RTA can only happen with the mutual agreement of the student and the employer/sponsor, and is overseen and approved by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development (MLITSD).

Students who meet the above completion requirements and all other OSSD requirements will be awarded the OYAP-FAST seal on their OSSD, and OYAP-FAST will be listed in the Specialized Program field of the Ontario Student Transcript (OST). If a student has already been granted an OSSD, it cannot be exchanged for an OSSD with the OYAP-FAST seal.

Most students considering OYAP-FAST will need to indicate their interest in the program by selecting the “OYFAST” course code during grade 10 course selections to allow for the specialized timetabling required. Students will be required to meet with a Guidance Counsellor to determine their eligibility, and to have the requirements and implications of taking the program explained. Students who participate will be required to complete and sign a consent form that will be filed in their OSR (parents/guardians will need to sign as well if the student is under 18). 

Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM)

The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) is a specialized program that allows students to gain credits toward their Ontario Secondary School Diploma and focus their learning on a specific economic sector at the same time. An SHSM enables students to gain sector-specific skills and knowledge in the context of engaging, career related learning environments and helps them focus on graduation and on pursuing their post-secondary goals, whether it involves apprenticeship, college, university, or the workplace.   
The SHSM is a Ministry of Education approved program.

Components of an SHSM

Students who complete an SHSM program with all the requirements receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma with a red seal. Their transcript will indicate the completion of an SHSM in the sector of specialization and they will receive a record of the sector-recognized certificates and training completed.

Every SHSM must include the following five components:

Bundled Credits, including Co-op
Sector-Recognized Certification and Training
Reach-Ahead Experiences
Experiential Learning
Sector-Partnered Experience (SPE)

Bundled Credits, including Co-op

Each SHSM has a bundle of 8-10 required Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits depending on the sector and/or post-secondary pathway. These credits are part of the 30 required credits for an OSSD. 

This  bundle includes 4 major credits that provide sector-specific knowledge and skills, 2 to 4 other credits, and 2 Cooperative Education credits where the placement is related to the economic sector.

Students who wish to participate in a SHSM will need to base their course selections for grade 11 and 12 around these course requirements, starting with the course selections they make in spring of their grade 10 year.

Sector-Recognized Certifications and Training Programs

Each SHSM requires that students complete sector specific Certifications and Awareness Training Programs. 
Every SHSM program requires that students earn Standard First Aid, CPR Level C with AED, and WHMIS. Students will earn at least 3-4 additional certifications related to the economic sector of their SHSM program. These certifications provide SHSM students with an advantage when entering the workplace or applying to post-secondary programs. 

Experiential Learning and Career Exploration Activities

Experiential learning consists of planned learning experiences that take place outside of the traditional classroom setting. Credits in the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) framework will include Experiential Learning opportunities for students so they can connect their learning in school to work in the sector. Experiential Learning can include field trips, tours, job shadowing, job twinning, and work experiences.

Reach Ahead Experiences

Students in the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program have opportunities for learning experiences directly related to their desired post-secondary destination. Reach-ahead experiences could include: 

  • job-shadowing someone for a day or more in a career the student is considering; 
  • visiting or attending a presentation from a college or university about programs in their area of interest and/or;
  • attending a conference or workshop held by the economic sector in his/her SHSM.
Sector - Partnered Experiences (SPEs)

All students pursuing an SHSM must complete at least one sector-partnered experience (SPE). SPEs are learning experiences tied to a student's chosen SHSM sector, developed and delivered by sector partners in tandem with teachers. All SPEs focus on one of the following:

  • innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship (ICE)
  • coding

mathematical literacy

SHSM Programs in the RRDSB

Specialist High Skills Major programs are offered in the following economic sectors:

  • Fort Frances High School:
    • Arts and Culture
    • Business
    • Health and Wellness
    • Manufacturing
  • Northern Lakes K-12:
    • Environment
    • Hospitality and Tourism
  • Rainy River High School:
    • Environment
    • Hospitality and Tourism
    • Health and Wellness (currently awaiting Ministry approval to run as of 2025-26 school year)
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