Page 23 - Guidance Education 11-12 (2006)

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THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12: GUIDANCE AND CAREER EDUCATION
recorded on the Provincial Report Card. Modified expectations indicate the knowledge and/or skills the student is expected to demonstrate and have assessed in each reporting period (IEP Standards, 2000, pages 10 and 11). Modified expectations represent specific, realistic, observable, and measurable achievements and describe specific knowledge and/or skills that the student can demonstrate independently, given the appropriate assessment accommodations.The student’s learning expectations must be reviewed in relation to the student’s progress at least once every reporting period and must be updated as necessary (IEP Standards, 2000, page 11).
If a student requires modified expectations in guidance and career education courses, assessment and evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the learning expectations identified in the IEP and on the achievement levels outlined in this document. If some of the student’s learning expectations for a course are modified but the student is working towards a credit for the course, it is sufficient simply to check the IEP box on the Provincial Report Card. If, however, the student’s learning expectations are modified to such an extent that the principal deems that a credit will not be granted for the course, the IEP box must be checked and the appropriate statement from the Guide to the Provincial Report Card, Grades 9–12, 1999 (page 8) must be inserted.The teacher’s comments should include relevant information on the student’s demonstrated learning of the modified expectations, as well as next steps for the student’s learning in the course.
English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD)
Young people whose first language is not English enter Ontario secondary schools with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Some may have experience of highly sophisticated educa- tional systems,while others may have had limited formal schooling.All of these students bring a rich array of background knowledge and experience to the classroom, and all teachers must share in the responsibility for their English-language development.
Students who come to Ontario from other countries will find the courses in guidance and career education particularly useful.They will develop learning skills that will assist them as they progress through secondary school. Students will develop interpersonal and communica- tion skills and learn about their local community through career exploration activities.
Teachers of guidance and career education must incorporate appropriate strategies for instruc- tion and assessment to facilitate the success of the English language learners in their classrooms. These strategies include:
• modificationofsomeorallofthecourseexpectations,basedonthestudent’slevelofEnglish proficiency;
• useofavarietyofinstructionalstrategies(e.g.,extensiveuseofvisualcues,graphicorganiz- ers, scaffolding; previewing of textbooks; pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer tutoring; strategic use of students’ first languages);
• useofavarietyoflearningresources(e.g.,visualmaterial,simplifiedtext,bilingualdictionar- ies, and culturally diverse materials);
• useofassessmentaccommodations(e.g.,grantingofextratime;useoforalinterviewsand tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers and cloze sentences instead of essay ques- tions and other assessment tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English).