5.8.1 School Completion (Evergreen) Policy

POLICY TYPE: 5.0 Educational Program Policies \ 5.8 Special Education
EFFECTIVE DATE: 2018-10-24	LAST REVISED: 2023-11-17
THIS POLICY APPLIES TO: Contractors – Individuals engaged to provide services under a contract with SelfDesign Learning Foundation Support Providers – Individuals engaged under a contract or agreement with SelfDesign Learning Foundation to provide services for a specific learner Families – Learners and parents(s)/guardian(s) of learners participating in SelfDesign Learning Foundation’s programs Volunteers – Individuals providing goods/services under the terms of an agreement with SelfDesign Learning Foundation Board Members – Members of the Board of Directors for SelfDesign Learning Foundation and the Foundation for SelfDesign (FSD)

Policy Statement

SelfDesign Learning Foundation (SDLF) is committed to celebrating success in learning and recognizing the accomplishments of learners with disabilities and/or diverse abilities.

Definitions

School Completion Certificate (SCC) – a recognition of the completion of a learner’s goals of their educational program. The SCC, also known as the “Evergreen”, does not satisfy the requirements for graduation.

Policy

SelfDesign Learning Foundation will recognize SelfDesign Learning Community (SDLC) learners with disabilities and/or diverse abilities and an Individual Education Plan (IEP), who have met the goals of their educational program, but have not satisfied the requirements for graduation, with the chance to complete the School Completion Certificate (SCC).

Protocol

Participation

The decision to participate in an SCC program in SDLC is made in collaboration with the learner’s educator, SDLC administrators/support, parent(s)/guardian(s), and the learner. In this process, SDLC will ensure that learners and their parents/guardians clearly understand that the SCC represents the completion of personal learning goals but does not represent graduation. The decision to put a learner in an SCC program will not be made prior to Grade 10 and will include the informed consent of the learner’s parent(s)/guardian(s).

IEP

All learners pursuing an SCC will have an IEP that indicates their personal education goals, how the goals will be achieved, and on-going monitoring and assessment to know when the goals have been met and an SCC should be issued. Parents/Guardians, and wherever appropriate the learner, are to be provided an opportunity to be consulted about the preparation of the IEP.

Entitlements

In addition to receiving a School Completion Certificate, learners on an SCC path are also entitled to a Ministry transcript of successfully completed Grades 10-12 courses, both for-credit and non-credit, including Ministry-authorized, Board/Authority Authorized (BAA), and Locally Developed (LD) courses (e.g., IEP courses).

SDLC will apply to the Ministry of Education and Child Care for the SCC and the transcript upon completion of the program. If it is not in the best interest of the learner to receive a transcript (e.g., learners with limited awareness of their surroundings, learners with fragile mental/physical health, learners medically and cognitively/multiply challenged), SDLC will apply for the SCC only.