Guidance Services

Current Year Guidance Information/News

The following applies to current-year students of Adult Education.

All students should be regularly checking the personal email address they used to register with. Guidance notices, including a start of term, "Guidance Newsletter" with important information, are sent to students using this method.

The preferred & fastest method for booking a guidance appointment is to complete the form below:

https://bit.ly/GuidanceAppointmentRequest

You may also email student services at AdultStudentServices@tvdsb.ca or call 519-452-2660, ext. 69717.

College, University & Other Program Visits

Unless otherwise stated, all visitors will be located in the front entrance of the Wheable Centre.

Kings University - Monday, September 30, 2024 - 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM

Fanshawe College - Tuesday, October 15, 2024 - 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Canadian Armed Forces - Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

LiUNA Skilled Labour Union - Tuesday, November 5, 2024 - 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Conestoga College- Monday, November 11, 2024 - 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM

Western University - Tuesday, November 12, 2024 - 11:45 AM to 12:20 PM

Lambton College - Thursday, November 14, 2024 - 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Fanshawe College - Tuesday, December 3, 2024 - 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

*check back for regular updates as visitors confirm dates*

Applying to Post Secondary as a Wheable Student

Please see the Post Secondary tab below. Continue to check your email for information about online sessions.

 


General Guidance Information

Attendance:  Regular attendance at school and on-line is critical for a student's learning and achievement of course expectations.  The rapid pace and demands of the schedule in Adult and Continuing Education are such that (near) perfect attendance is necessary and expected.

Where, in the principal's judgement, a student's frequent/numerous absences are jeopardizing his/her successful completion of a course, the student will be informed of potential consequences including failure to gain credits.

If absent from a class, students will be expected to get the missed work from a class member or follow the agenda posted by the teacher from the previous day. 

Registration:  New students - please see the Registration Information located under the Day School tab above.  Students currently attending programs in subsequent terms watch for announcements in your Brightspace courses for Advanced Registration information.  Ensure your place next term by registering early.

New students from outside the Thames Valley Board will need to obtain a copy of their transcript in order to register.

Course offerings are subject to change.  Course lists at registration provide the most current course schedule. Courses run only if there is sufficient enrollment and close when capacity is reached.

Adult Route to a Diploma (OSSD)

Chances are you don't need to earn all 30 of the credits required to graduate as an adult. Credits may be granted to recognize that various experiences in the adult world can produce skills, understanding, and competence in ways that could be equivalent to those gained in formal study.

Equivalent credits are granted for:

  • Equivalent secondary education in other provinces or countries
  • Training taken equivalent to secondary courses/Canadian Armed Forces
  • Life and work experience (parenting/bill payments/home ownership)
  • Apprenticeship  (training certificate required)
  • Prior credits earned in an Ontario high school (older course codes)

To graduate with an Ontario diploma a student must:

  • Earn the last 4 credits (minimum) as a mature student.  These must be taken at the Senior level - Grade 11 or 12.
  • Have a grade 12 English credit - This could be one of ENG4C, ENG4E, ENG4U or OLC4O
  • Depending on diploma type: proof of passing the literacy test or OLC4O course.

Students are screened at registration and we do our best to identify any student who is eligible to complete a prior learning assessment (PLAR).  You can expect to receive an email to your personal email address when classes have started that contains an electronic PLAR form. Based on the information you provide on this form, supplemental forms may be required.  You may also be asked to send copies of Records of Employment, course certificates, rental agreements, old utility bills, etc. to demonstrate the life experiences you have had outside of school.  

Be sure to regularly check your personal email you provide us with for updates from your guidance counsellor.  If you feel you might be eligible for a PLA or PLAR and were not contacted, you can always request an appointment by emailing adultstudentservices@tvdsb.ca.

If you have earned credits from another school board, it is the student's responsibility to provide the counsellor with an official transcript BEFORE the PLAR can be finalized. The official transcript should have a signature and seal on it and be printed on official transcript paper.  An unsigned, working transcript that may have been used for registration, does not have the same authenticity and cannot be used in this case.

Graduation

Potential graduates must complete all course requirements and apply for a diploma to graduate. As you earn your final credit, it is essential that you complete a "Diploma Request".  Graduation does not happen automatically nor are diplomas created automatically. You must apply. If you have credits earned from other institutions and do not have an OSSD, you must provide an official transcript (signature, sealed, transcript paper) before we can enter these credits into our system.   

PLAR Information and Procedures

PLAR - Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition 

 What is PLAR?

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) for mature students provides a quicker way for adults to acquire credits toward a high school diploma. The PLAR assessment process looks at your life and work experiences and can award you credits for that experience, as well as grant equivalent credits for successful completion of assessments.

 

Who is a Mature Student?

A mature student is a student who is:

  • at least 18 years old on or before December 31 or August 31 of the school year;
  • is enrolled in a secondary school credit program for the purpose of obtaining an OSSD.

 

Who Participates in PLAR?

Students who are new to the Ontario secondary school system as of February 1, 2004 and Ontario high school students who were enrolled in an Ontario school in 1999-2000 or later and who are working towards a diploma.

 

What About Maturity Credits?

Students who were enrolled in the Ontario secondary school system prior to 1999 and who continue to work towards their OSSD under OS:IS or HS1 diploma requirement do not have to participate in the PLAR process.    These students could be granted credits under the PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) maturity credit process.  

 

Grade 9 and 10 Individual Assessment / Equivalency Process 

What is it?   An individual student assessment / equivalency process for the purpose of granting up to 16 Grade 9 and 10 credits through (a) transcripts, or (b) transcripts and completion of individual assessments, or (C) completion of individual assessments.

Students without appropriate transcripts for all or part of the first two years of secondary school will be required to complete an individual assessment in some or all of Grade 9 and 10 English, Mathematics, Science and Canadian Geography/History.

Does this program earn a certificate?     The principal may grant the OSSC (Ontario Secondary School Certificate) to a mature student following successful completion of the individual assessments.   Unlike adolescents, mature students are eligible to receive this certificate and continue to pursue and earn an OSSD in the future.

 

Grade 11 and 12 Equivalency Process

What is it?  The process for obtaining credits that involves an evaluation of a mature student's education and/or training credentials and/or other appropriate documentation of learning gained from other programs, courses or work experiences. This is a very individual process and is unique to each student.

What is the process?  

  • be enrolled in a secondary school course
  • complete the PLAR Application provided by the guidance counsellor
  • present credentials/ documents that show evidence of learning that relates directly to the Ontario curriculum expectations for specific courses 
  • complete any supplemental forms to demonstrate learning (determined by guidance counsellor)

Points to Remember

  • Students must earn a minimum of four Grade 11 and 12 credits after mature status is reached (Including Grade 12 English) by taking the necessary courses.
  • Students may obtain no more than ten Grade 11/12 credits through the equivalency/ challenge process unless they have graduated with a diploma or degree from a Canadian accredited post secondary institution or they are registered with as an Ontario Skilled Trades person.
  • Principals may grant half-credits only for specific half-credit courses.
Post Secondary Information

Post-Secondary Information for Current Adult Education Students

Congratulations!!   You are moving closer to attending a post-secondary institution.

 

First Steps

Research all post secondary institutions so you are clear on the required courses for your program of interest. You do not need to be done all required courses before you apply. However, you should plan out your schedule to insure you will be able to complete all requirements in time, including any extra requirements (ie. CASPer test, IELTS, portfolios, etc.). Pay attention to deadlines specific to your program and school of interest.

Current students can see the information below for further instance with applications. We update this information each Fall to provide the most up-to-date information we have access to.

 

Obtaining Transcripts

 

If the last secondary school or adult learning centre you attended was in another part of the Province of Ontario or in another country, you must contact that school or school board directly.   The Thames Valley District School Board does not have access to those records.

Former students can obtain a transcript from the Thames Valley District School Board (formerly Middlesex County, Elgin County, Oxford County and City of London school boards)by contacting our Records Department at https://www.tvdsb.ca/en/parents/record-requests.aspx.  

 

All students are responsible for submitting their own post secondary transcripts (if you previously attended a college or university) as needed.

 

Applying to University - See Details Here:    

 

PINs are no longer required for any students.

 

You will be either a Group A or Group B applicant:

 

You must be registered and attending at least 1 course with Adult & Continuing Education to be considered attending an Ontario high school.

 

Next:

Go to: www.ouac.on.ca

Here you can find details on how to apply to university, as well as links with various program information for all the Ontario universities.  When you are ready, click the "Apply Now" button.