Courses in Grades 10, 11, and 12 may have a prerequisite (a course that students are required to complete first to be eligible to enrol). This is because, in some cases, students need to have prior knowledge in order to be successful in a future course. All prerequisite courses are identified in curriculum policy documents from the Ministry of Education. Not all courses require a prerequisite.
Information about prerequisites is published on our website within each course outline. Students must meet all prerequisite requirements before enrolling in MVA courses. Documentation showing proof of completion of prerequisites (either a copy of the Ontario Student Transcript (OST), a final report card, or a credit counselling summary) will be required upon course registration.
If a parent or an adult student (a student who is eighteen years of age or older) would like to request that a prerequisite be waived, they should contact MVA prior to enrolling in a course. The MVA Principal will determine whether or not the prerequisite should be waived, in consultation with the student, the parent/guardian, and MVA staff.
Standard courses ensure marks and feedback are delivered to students within 5 business days. Accelerated courses are identical to Standard courses with the added feature of accelerated turnaround times and teacher response times for receiving feedback and grades on assignments, tests, etc. Students who take Accelerated courses often do so because they need to meet an approaching deadline and therefore need to work at a faster pace. Students still have the full 12 months to complete the course at their own pace—the difference is that students are always guaranteed a response/feedback time of two business days.
A repeat or upgrade course is offered to students who have already successfully completed the same course (with a final grade of at least 50%), but wish to retake the course to improve their performance. This is often done for the purpose of increasing a student’s overall average, for university/college admissions, or to meet requirements for scholarships. The content is identical to that of a Standard course, but in the case of an upgrade/repeat, the MVA teacher may work with the student and parent/guardian to condense the assessment load of the course.
How does a repeat/upgrade course appear on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST)? For Grade 9 and 10 students, only the attempt at taking the course which produced the higher grade will appear on the OST. For Grade 11 and 12 students, the percentage grades for both attempts at the course appear on the OST. In all cases, only one credit is awarded in total.
Students who wish to take a repeat/upgrade course can indicate this by checking the relevant box on the course registration page. Students must submit documentation showing proof of having completed the course (by providing a copy of the Ontario Student Transcript (OST), a final report card, or a credit counselling summary) upon course registration.
Grade 8 students who would like to take high school courses may be eligible to do so through the Reach Ahead program. In consultation with the parent/guardian and Principal of the student’s elementary school, the Principal of MVA will decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether “reaching ahead” to take a secondary school course is appropriate and in the best interest of the student. Reach Ahead courses can be taken either during the Grade 8 school year or in the summer prior to entering Grade 9.
Why take a Reach Ahead course? It can introduce students to the structure and expectations of Grade 9 courses, ease their transition and allow them to complete one of their mandatory courses before entering secondary school, and reduce their overall workload in Grade 9. Any student who wishes to participate in the Reach Ahead program should contact MVA prior to enrolling in a course.
MVA courses employ a range of teaching and learning strategies. Many of these strategies are best practices from the classroom environment, and a number of them are specific to creating engaging and dynamic online learning environments that support student needs, understanding, and achievement. MVA teaching and learning priorities emphasize real-world relevance and application, culturally responsive pedagogy, and critical thinking. The approaches and strategies that are used will vary, but may include:
Videos
Online Simulations & Animations
Virtual Labs
Discussion Forums
Case Studies
Problem Solving
Hands-on Activities
Experiential Learning
Presentations
Graphics & Diagrams
Opinion-based Reports
Email Correspondence
As outlined in Growing Success, the primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is the improvement of learning for all students. Information and evidence that is gathered meaningfully through valid and reliable assessment allows teachers to make informed instructional decisions, promote student engagement, and improve student learning. MVA’s approach to assessment and evaluation is guided by the Ministry of Education’s seven fundamental principles, which require that schools and teachers use practice, procedures, assessments, and evaluations that:
are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students
support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (in our case, English), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit
are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students
are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course
are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning
provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement
develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.
Assessment and evaluation of student learning is further guided by the four interrelated categories of knowledge and skills outlined in the Achievement Chart for each subject: Knowledge and Understanding, Thinking and Investigation, Communication, and Application.
All MVA courses are offered as single-credit courses. A credit is granted when a student successfully completes a course with a final percentage mark of at least 50 per cent. The final grade is determined as follows:
70%
based on evaluation conducted throughout the course
reflects the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration is given to more recent evidence of achievement.
30%
based on a final evaluation administered at or towards the end of the course
can be one or a combination of the following: an examination, culminating assignment, essay, and/or another method of evaluation suitable to the course content
allows the student an opportunity to demonstrate comprehensive achievement of the overall expectations for the course.
At the beginning of a course, students will receive a course outline detailing the specific assessment and evaluation structure for the course, including the format of the final evaluation. Evaluation focuses on students’ achievement of the overall curriculum expectations, evidence of which is collected over time from three sources: observations, conversations, and student performance. Determining a report card grade involves teachers’ professional judgement and interpretation of this evidence.
MVA issues two Ontario Secondary School Report Cards: the first when a student reaches the midterm point of a course, and the second upon completion of the course. In addition to providing a percentage grade that indicates the student’s achievement of the curriculum expectations, the report card also provides a record of the learning skills demonstrated by the student (in the categories of Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation), as well as teacher comments on student learning, strengths, and next steps for improvement.
MVA will send an official hard copy of the final report to the student’s home school upon course completion--the home school maintains the student’s Ontario Student Record (OSR) and the Ontario Student Transcript (OST) and they will record the completed course on these official documents. Students will also receive a hard copy of their report card by mail.
Every MVA course has a mandatory final evaluation—this most often takes place as a closed-book final exam. The date, time, and location of the final exam are determined by the student, but must be approved by an MVA administrator before the exam is written. The exam must be written in the presence of an approved proctor (someone who monitors the student during the examination in order to ensure academic integrity).
Students have two options for arranging supervision (proctoring) of the final exam. Full instructions and exam-taking protocols will be provided once an option has been chosen.
Students may choose to meet with a proctor for the purposes of supervising the exam. In order to be approved, a student selected proctor must:
Be unrelated to the student in any way
Be an adult who has a university or college degree
Not be a tutor
Have a valid and dedicated professional email address
Be fluent in english
Examples of proctors may include: a home school teacher, guidance counselor, coach, librarian, doctor, lawyer, accountant, small business owner, etc.
This individual must agree to supervise the student for the duration of the exam, in accordance with MVA protocols.
Proctor information must be submitted for approval at least one week in advance of the scheduled exam date.
Note: if the selected proctor charges a fee for their services, the student is fully responsible to pay it.
Students may choose to use our pre-approved, online proctoring service. For this option, students will be monitored on video for the duration of the exam. To do so, students will be required to have:
A webcam
A microphone
A laptop or desktop computer
Government-issued photo ID
Our third-party online proctoring service charges a fee of $30 per exam.
A student has the option to transfer from one course to another within one week of registration, as long as no more than one assessment has been completed. Students are granted only one course transfer per enrollment. No administrative fee applies to course transfers.
Withdrawals from Grade 9 and 10 courses are not recorded on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST). Only successfully completed courses are recorded on the OST.
Withdrawals from Grade 11 and 12 courses are not recorded on the OST if the student withdraws from the course within five instructional days following the issue of the first report card. If a student withdraws from a course after five instructional days following the issue of the first report card, the withdrawal is recorded on the OST with a “W” in the “Credit” column and the student’s percentage grade at the time of the withdrawal is recorded in the “Percentage Grade” column.
If there are extraordinary circumstances relating to a student’s withdrawal from a course, an “S” will be entered in the “Note” column on the OST.
