Page 12 - Business Studies 9-10 (2006)

THE PROGRAM IN BUSINESS STUDIES 11
The design of the business studies program will enable students to select courses that relate to their interests and that prepare them for further study or work in the field of their choosing. Business studies courses are well suited for inclusion in programs that lead to a diploma with a Specialist High-Skills Major.Whether students eventually work in business or simply use the services of business, the business studies program will provide them with a foundation for making wise choices and informed decisions.
Although courses in business studies are optional, students should keep in mind that they can take any business studies course in the Grade 9–12 program to fulfil the Group 2 additional compulsory credit requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.2
Half-Credit Courses. The courses outlined in this document are designed as full-credit courses, but may be delivered as full- or half-credit courses. Half-credit courses, which require a minimum of fifty-five hours of scheduled instructional time, must adhere to the following conditions:
– The two half-credit courses created from a full course must together contain all of the expectations of the full course.The expectations for the two half-credit courses must be divided in a manner that best enables students to achieve the required knowledge and skills in the allotted time.
– A course that is a prerequisite for another course may be offered as two half-credit courses, but a student must successfully complete both parts of the course to fulfil the prerequisite. (Students are not required to complete both parts unless the course is a prerequi- site for another course they wish to take.)
– The title of each half-credit course must include the designation Part 1 or Part 2.When a stu- dent successfully completes a half-credit course, a half-credit (0.5) will be recorded in the credit-value column of both the report card and the Ontario Student Transcript.
Boards will ensure that all half-credit courses comply with the conditions described above, and will report all half-credit courses to the ministry annually in the School October Report.
Curriculum Expectations
The expectations identified for each course describe the knowledge and skills that students are expected to develop and demonstrate in their class work, on tests, and in various other activi- ties on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated.
Two sets of expectations are listed for each strand, or broad curriculum area, of each course.
• The overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students are
expected to demonstrate by the end of each course.
• The specific expectations describe the expected knowledge and skills in greater detail.The specific expectations are arranged under subheadings that reflect particular aspects of the required knowledge and skills and that may serve as a guide for teachers as they plan learning activities for their students.
2. To meet the Group 2 additional compulsory credit requirement, students have the choice of earning one credit for a course in business studies or one credit for an additional course in health and physical education or the arts.
Note also that cooperative education courses, which may be combined with business studies courses, may also be used to fulfil two of the three additional compulsory credit requirements for Groups 1, 2, and 3. (See Policy/Program Memorandum No. 139.)