Student Success
Dual Credit
Day Away Program
Our dual credit day away program is offered in partnership between our catholic secondary schools and both Fanshawe and Conestoga College. This program is intended to assist secondary school students in completing their OSSD and in making a successful transition to college and/or apprenticeship programs. The primary target group for dual credits are students who face challenges in completing the requirements for graduation but have the potential to succeed.
Students who participate in the dual credit day away program will attend their regular secondary school four days per week and will attend the college one day per week within one semester. The student will be transported to the college for full or half day dual credits. Within the dual credit day away program students can earn one College credit and one High School credit for each course they take. Students are responsible for catching up on the work that they miss at the high school on their day away. Supplies and transportation costs will be covered by the college.
The list of courses available each semester is available in the Guidance Department.
Application Process
- Wherever possible students will be referred to the dual credit day away program through the school based Student Success teams using the selection criteria in Appendix A of the Dual Credit policy document.
- The potential candidate will be required to fill out the dual credit application forms.
- High School Guidance counsellors can forward the completed application to school board project leader.
- Guidance counsellors will receive updates on applications directly.
Suitability for dual credit is determined on the basis of one or more of the following: (from Appendix A, Dual Credit Programs: Policy and Program Requirements, 2020)
- Student application
- Review of students OSR and/or credit counselling summary
- Recommendations of teachers
- Discussion among members of the school Student Success team regarding the options that provide the best fit with the student’s interests, strengths, and needs
- Student is from a primary focus group
School Within A College
We are offering a School Within a College (SWAC) opportunity hosted at Fanshawe College London. SWAC is a program aimed at disengaged and underachieving students who have the potential to succeed but are at risk of not graduating, and students who have left school before graduating (see pg. 14 in The Dual Credit Programs: Policy and Program Requirements, 2020). SWAC provides students with the chance to earn credits towards their OSSD while also taking up to four dual credit courses within a year. Students in this program will also receive support in becoming self directed, responsible, life long learners.
Students in the SWAC program will attend the Fanshawe College main campus (London) five days per week, and will participate in the dual credit day away program within their week at the college. All materials required for the dual credits taken through SWAC will be provided to the student by the college.
The primary focus group for SWAC are students who:
- Are ages 17-20
- Have completed 20+ credits, ideally 22 credits earned
- Meet the criteria for the primary focus group for SWAC (see Appendix A of the DCP, 2020 document)
- Have the potential to succeed in college
- Are ready for applied learning (Co-op)
Application process:
- Wherever possible students will be referred to the SWAC program through the school Student Success teams using; the selection criteria above, the application form, and the Policy and Program Requirements document, 2020 to guide the referral.
- The potential candidate will be required to fill out the SWAC application form and return it to their guidance counsellor.
- The application requires guidance and administration signatures and is then forwarded to the school board lead through email.
- Applications received will be considered based on the selection criteria and the student’s suitability* for the program (see below). Students will be contacted by the SWAC teacher.
*Suitability for SWAC is determined on the basis of one or more of the following:
- Review of students OSR and/or credit counselling summary
- Interview with the student
- Recommendations of teachers
- Discussion among members of the school Student Success team regarding the options that provide the best fit with the student’s interests, strengths, and needs
- Student is from the primary focus group
Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL)
- Education
- Work
- Personal Goals
Advantages of SAL
SAL is a transitional program that can provide an educational option for the most challenging students. The focus is on students who have significant difficulty learning within the context of a regular classroom for a variety of reasons:
- chronic absences from school
- disengaged from school
- difficulties coping with the traditional structured classroom
- mental health issues /anxiety, depression, school phobia
- may benefit from a practical, short-term employment experience
- may benefit from different life experiences to help gain personal awareness and knowledge, develop skills for problem-solving, decision-making and goal setting
- need to earn certificates to gain employment
SAL provides flexibility plus an opportunity to be pro-active with students to develop a plan to return to school at a later time or to gain employment. Students given approval for the SAL program may continue his/her learning in various ways such as:
- part-time employment and part-time school
- enrollment two or less courses
- participation in employment-readiness programs
- participation in community-based youth programs
- participation in community-based counselling to address barriers to learning
- participation in life skills and personal life management non-credit classes
- engagement in volunteer experiences and other activities that will help students set short and long term goals to transition back to regular school, or prepare for the world of work