AP 217 - Special Project Credits
As per the Ministry of Education – Special Project Credit Policy and Procedures.
To meet the credit requirements for graduation, the Ministry of Education recognizes three Special Project Credits per student for out-of-school initiatives, on the basis of work proposed and completed by an individual student. The Special Project Credit(s) shall be named Special Project 10, Special Project 20, or Special Project 30 and may be used to fulfill elective requirements for graduation. Students must complete the credit(s) during Grades 10-12. Granting of credit for approved out-of-school initiatives recognizes student achievement in areas outside of the regular Secondary Level program. It encourages students to become involved in the selection, planning, and organization of their own programs.
While students may use programs currently in place (e.g., Cadet Training, post-secondary courses) to develop their personal learning proposal, it is recommended that the proposal(s) be developed to meet the needs and interests of the individual student.
Notes: Special Projects are not intended to be delivered in a classroom by a teacher to a group of students. Where there is a need for course options not met by provincially developed curricula, schools should follow policy and procedures for approval of Secondary Level Courses (Locally Developed Courses).
Credit recognition for Royal Conservatory of Music should not be awarded through the use of Special Project, but rather through the Dual Credit Initiative as per policy.
Special Projects are not to be submitted in lieu of dual credit courses. Please contact the Office of the Registrar for more information on Dual Credit Program at 1-306-787-6039.Guidelines
1. To earn a Special Project Credit, the student must be enrolled in Horizon School Division.
2. The school will administer the Special Project Credit process within Ministry guidelines and Horizon School Division’s Administrative Procedure.
3. The Special Project Proposal(s) must be in place and approved prior to the student beginning the project(s).
4. Special Project(s) may be used up to three times as electives to meet the 24 credit requirement or once to meet the Adult 12 requirement at the Secondary Level.
5. The content of the Special Project(s) need not be related to a specific school subject. If a special project is related to a specific school subject, the content of the project shall be distinct from and in addition to regular course requirements.
6. Special Projects must require a minimum of 100 hours of work.
7. Each project shall be carried out under the supervision of a teacher.
8. When a project takes a student off campus, the Work Study Guidelines for coordinating and monitoring shall apply, as appropriate (see Practical and Applied Arts Handbook).
9. Student activities that would be considered a normal part of extra-curricular or co-curricular activities generally offered by a school may not be given Special Project Credit recognition (e.g., school team sports, school newspaper, yearbook, student representative positions).
Procedures
1. Students are required to submit a clearly planned AF 217 Special Projects Credit to the principal for approval, outlining:1.1. A description of the project, including the student’s goals and how this project will contribute to the student’s personal growth.
1.2. A list of any previous experience in the area.
1.3. A description of the experiences and processes that will be followed to complete the project.
1.4. The expected start and completion dates.
1.5. An acknowledgement of the required amount of time (100 hours) to receive the credit.
1.6. A list of who is involved in the project.
1.7. How the project might be evaluated.
2. Assessment strategies for a Special Project shall be developed jointly by the student and supervising teacher. Each student completing the Special Project Credit shall present for final evaluation, evidence of personal growth in the project’s stated goals and objectives. This can be presented in many forms. Some examples include (but are not all-inclusive): an attestation by the project mentor, a portfolio, a reflective journal, a video, etc.
3. Schools shall establish procedures to communicate to parents and students the availability, procedures, outcomes and assessment strategies for Special Projects.
4. Students who successfully complete projects will be granted one credit for a minimum of 100 hours of work on the approval of the principal. The registration and mark shall be submitted to Ministry of Education in the same manner as for other courses of study.
5. The school division shall retain a copy of each Special Project Proposal on file for a minimum of five years.
6. The supporting documents for a special project credit include:
6.1. School division/school Special Project Credit policy.
6.2. Special Project Proposal.
Reference: Sections 85, 87, 108, 109, 175, 176, Education Act Ministry’s Work Experience Education Guidelines
November 13, 2013
Revised July 18, 2017