Page 21 - Guidance Education 11-12 (2006)

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THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12: GUIDANCE AND CAREER EDUCATION
simulated work experience) that are intended to meet the needs of students at various stages of readiness for work.These experiences will also influence the direction students take in their career exploration and educational planning.
Cooperative education programs, which provide opportunities for learning in apprenticeship and workplace settings in combination with classroom studies, are designed to suit students’ particular strengths, interests, and needs and further enhance their preparation for the future.
Students need opportunities to learn about the work world through experiences in workplaces and interaction with employers and employees.They can also learn about active and responsi- ble citizenship through opportunities to make contributions to their communities and schools. Their personal, interpersonal, and learning development can be enhanced and supported through connections with community service agencies, postsecondary institutions, and the broader community. For all these reasons, strong connections with the community outside the school, including partnerships with employers and community organizations, are essential to the delivery of an effective guidance and career education program.
All experiential learning opportunities and cooperative education programs will be provided in accordance with the ministry’s policy document entitled Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Secondary Schools, 2000.
Planning Program Pathways and Programs Leading to a Specialist High-Skills Major
Guidance and career education courses are well suited for inclusion in programs leading to a Specialist High-Skills Major (SHSM) and in programs designed to provide pathways to particular apprenticeship or workplace destinations. In an SHSM program, guidance and career education courses can be bundled with other courses to provide the academic knowledge and skills important to particular industry sectors and required for success in the workplace and post- secondary education, including apprenticeship. Guidance and career education courses may also be combined with cooperative education credits to provide the workplace experience required for SHSM programs and for various program pathways to apprenticeship and work- place destinations. (SHSM programs would also include sector-specific learning opportunities offered by employers, skills-training centres, colleges, and community organizations.)
Planning Guidance and Career Education Programs for Students With Special Education Needs
In planning guidance and career education courses for students with special education needs, teachers should begin by examining both the curriculum expectations for the course and the needs of the individual student to determine which of the following options is appropriate for the student:
• no accommodations2 or modifications; or
• accommodationsonly;or
• modifiedexpectations,withthepossibilityofaccommodations
2. “Accommodations” refers to individualized teaching and assessment strategies, human supports, and/or individualized equipment.