McGuinty government to give legislative backing to student success

Ministry of Education

McGuinty government to give legislative backing to student success

Bill to include mandatory programs for students, new enforcement measures

    TORONTO, Dec. 13  - New legislation is expected to be introduced
today that would ensure students keep learning to 18 or graduation through
creative incentives that realize students' individual potential and unique
enforcements to prevent them from dropping out, Education Minister Gerard
Kennedy announced today.
    "It has been 50 years since Ontario updated the school-leaving age
requirement," said Kennedy. "It's time that our 21st century high schools
provide the kind of programs that are relevant to students today and support
parents' ambitions for their children."
    "There is more at stake than ever before for students to get a high
school education that is high quality, meaningful and prepares them for a
variety of postsecondary destinations."

    The legislation, if passed, would:

    -  mandate the government's comprehensive student success programs be
       made available by all school boards
    -  increase the school leaving age to 18 or until graduation by keeping
       students learning either in classrooms or at other approved learning
       programs
    -  improve enforcement policies with more effective and practical
       measures tied to students' driver's licences
    -  create hard links between high schools and postsecondary destinations
       to allow external learning to be recognized for high school credits

    Launched in 2003-04, the government's $1.3 billion Student Success
Strategy has shown early progress, increasing the graduation rate from
68 percent to 71 percent over one year and moving toward the government's
graduation target of 85 per cent by 2010. Phase 1 and 2 programs already
underway in high schools include dedicated student success teachers and
board-wide leaders, innovative lighthouse programs, revisions to the
curriculum, class size limits in key courses and upgraded technological
education facilities.
    Phase 3 of the strategy, announced last week, will dramatically expand
co-operative education programs, create a Specialist High-Skills Major within
the high school diploma and recognize dual-credits between high schools and
postsecondary destinations.
    "Our Student Success Strategy is about customizing high schools to give
every student an Ontario education advantage," said Kennedy. "Enforcement
measures are intended as a backstop to these important student success
programs and to send a strong signal that we are taking responsibility for
student achievement."
    If passed, the legislation would include an amendment to the Highway
Traffic Act to authorize the making of regulations to require that 16- and
17-year-olds, who wish to apply for their drivers licences or to move from G1
to G2 or further to full G licences, provide evidence that they are attending
school or are excused from attendance at school under the Education Act. The
measure will only be enacted once the government is satisfied that the student
success programs are sufficiently in place.
    "This legislation demonstrates that the government is serious about
student success. These programs promise to provide relevant opportunities for
students that will prepare them for their next step in life," said
Mag Gardner, Student Success Leader, Halton District School Board. "This is an
invitation for students to not only graduate, but learn in a way that is
meaningful for them."

    Disponible en français.

                              www.edu.gov.on.ca
                        www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca



    Backgrounder
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                         LEARNING TO 18 LEGISLATION

    The McGuinty government is giving Ontario high school students the
education advantage they deserve through the $1.3 billion Student Success
Strategy.
    With new initiatives to make the education system more responsive to
student needs, high school students will stay in school longer, feel more
engaged and have learning choices that are relevant and valuable.
    The Student Success Strategy gives Ontario students a greater opportunity
to customize their high school diplomas to match their strengths, interests
and career goals.
    The Learning to 18 Legislation is one part of the overall Student Success
Strategy. If passed, it would:
    -  mandate the government's comprehensive student success programs be
       made available by all school boards
    -  increase the school leaving age to 18 or until graduation by keeping
       students learning either in classrooms or at other approved learning
       programs
    -  improve enforcement policies to more effective and practical measures
       tied to students' driver's licenses
    -  create hard links between high schools and post secondary destinations
       to allow external learning to be recognized for high school credits

    ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM

    Before the new high school curriculum was introduced in 1998 by the
previous government, the high school graduation rate was 78 per cent. By
2004-05, the rate had dropped to 68 per cent and over 51,000 students were
dropping out of high school without enough credits to graduate. While the
stakes for leaving school without a diploma are high for individual students,
they are also critical for Ontario's economy and competitive advantage.

    

    Annual School Leavers(*) in Ontario, 2000-2001 through 2002-2003

    Age                  2000-2001      2001-2002      2002-2003

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    15 Years Old           14,678         10,581          9,111

    16 Years Old           13,232         10,704         11,200

    17 Years Old           16,696         14,754         18,553

    Data includes publicly funded secondary schools only.
    (*) Students who have not obtained a diploma, have not returned to
    school the following year.

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    Ontario's recent postsecondary review report, Ontario: A Leader in
    Learning, stated that individuals without a high school diploma earn
    almost 40 per cent less than those with a trades certificate or diploma.
    Individuals between the ages of 15-24 who drop out in Ontario are also
    almost twice as likely to be unemployed than those who graduate.
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    MORE LEARNING INCENTIVES FOR STUDENTS

    The legislation, if passed, would allow school boards to provide learning
opportunities to their students in partnership with community groups, the
business community, training centres, colleges, universities and other
organizations providing programs for young people.
    Both schools boards and the Minister of Education would be able to enter
into agreements with these groups so students can more easily participate in
non-traditional educational experiences.

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    "In my regular high school classes there were too many students, noise
    and other distractions for me to focus on my studies so I ended up
    dropping out several times. My school then offered me a chance to recover
    and complete my remaining Grade 12 credits through some opportunities at
    my local college. It was self-directed with more one-on-one help
    available and now I'm a full-time college student with a high school
    diploma. We need more programs like these."

    - Stephanie Moore, an Ottawa high school graduate who participated in an
    Ottawa-Carleton Catholic District School Board's pilot lighthouse
    project.
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    In addition, the proposed bill would give the Minister of Education the
authority to set policies, procedures, requirements and standards to ensure
all programs meet the needs of secondary school students and the government's
learning expectations.
    High school students would now have greater access to quality
co-operative education, dual credits, apprenticeships and other outside
learning opportunities to complete their Ontario Secondary School Diploma,
including the new Specialist High-Skills Major.

    LEARNING TO EIGHTEEN

    Fifty years since the school leaving age was last amended, the McGuinty
government plans to propose an amendment to the Education Act to require that
young people attend school until the age of 18 or until graduation.

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    OSSTF believes students should not be allowed to opt out of education
    before achieving high school graduation. In order to accomplish this
    goal, students who have not obtained a secondary school graduation
    diploma should be required to remain in school until age 18.

                     -Making Ontario Secondary Schools Work for all Students
                       Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF)
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    PRACTICAL ENFORCEMENT

    If passed, the legislation would include an amendment to the Highway
Traffic Act to authorize the making of regulations to require that 16 and
17 year-olds, who wish to apply for their driver's licences or to move from G1
to G2 or further to G, provide evidence that they are attending school or are
excused from attendance at school under the Education Act.
    In addition to the current penalties for habitual absenteeism which are
fines and probation, a court would be able to suspend a young person's driving
privileges.
    In 2001-02, there were 427 court cases for secondary students who were
habitually absent. This number fell to 181 in 2003-04, of which 88 resulted in
probationary orders to attend school.
    Such a policy would be consistent with many American states that have
imposed driving restrictions and/or sanctions on youth not registered in an
approved learning environment. Currently, nine American states require
attendance at school to receive a driver's license (Alabama, Rhode Island,
Georgia, South Carolina, Idaho, Texas, Indiana, West Virginia and North
Carolina), and five additional states have attendance and performance
standards (Illinois, Tennessee, Mississippi, Virginia and Oklahoma). Ten
states suspend licenses for truancy and/or academic problems (Arkansas,
Louisiana, California, New Mexico, Delaware, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee,
Kentucky and Wisconsin).
    The legislation, if passed, would also expand current requirements.
Sixteen and seventeen-year-olds convicted of habitual absence from school
could be fined a maximum of $1,000, the same penalty previously set for youth
16 or younger.
    Parents who fail to ensure their children under the age of 18 attend
school and employers who hire them during school hours could face an increase
in the maximum penalty from $200 to $1,000. Employers of students enrolled in
a Ministry recognized learning program and parents whose sixteen and
seventeen-year-old children have withdrawn from parental control would not be
considered in violation of the Education Act.
    Recognizing that there are circumstances in which it may be legitimate
for a young person to not attend school and/or to require a driver's licence,
there would be additional regulatory power to provide legal exemptions in such
cases.
    The new measures would only be enacted once the government is satisfied
that the student success programs are sufficiently in place.

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    A recent C.D. Howe Institute study reported that American states that
    have raised the school-leaving age above 16:
    -  Increased, on average, a young person's length of schooling by
       6-8 weeks
    -  Decreased, on average, the dropout rate by between 1.2 and
       2.1 percentage points
    -  Increased the number of young adults with at least some college or
       university learning by 1.5 to 2.1 percentage points
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    Disponible en français

                              www.edu.gov.on.ca

    
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