Onstudy Academy is a year-round asynchronous private school inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Education (BSID# 665151), and offers Ontario Secondary School Diploma credits to students in Ontario and around the world each year.
Onstudy Academy es una escuela en linea asincrónica, inspeccionada por el Ministerio de Educación de Ontario, y ofrece créditos para el diploma de secundaria a estudiantes en Ontario y en todo el mundo.
Onstudy Academy strives to instill five core values in all students. These core values will help students become life-long learners and productive citizens of our country and communities.
Core Values
Responsibility
Responsibility is one’s ability to understand the duties and obligations and being accountable for one’s actions as well as for what is required to achieve one’s goals
Respect
Respect means to have an attitude of esteem towards oneself as well as others. Respect is expressed by treating others positively and demonstrating an appreciation for other people’s qualities, roles and duties.
Integrity
Integrity means the ability to adhere to moral and ethical principles governing academic work and life in general.
Persistence
Persistence is the ability to stay on course despise negative experiences and to maintain an attainable vision.
Curiosity
Curiosity is the strong desire to unravel the mysteries of the world around us. Curiosity is a driving force for wanting to understand, learn and know more about the universe. Driven by curiosity, scientists and mathematicians have develop laws, principles, laws, and concepts that help us make sense of the world around us.
Onstudy Academy mission is to educate students for a changing world by providing quality online courses in Mathematics and Science. Our online courses contain detailed video lessons, animations, tutorials and practice exercises and tests which enable students to reach their full potential. All video lessons were carefully developed by experienced Ontario certified teachers who are passionate about helping students develop solid study, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These skills will not only open opportunities for post-secondary education but also prepare students well for the challenges after high school.
“Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given us by education.”
~Jean Jacques Rousseau
Onstudy Academy online courses are centered on two tightly interwoven concepts – challenge and respect. Onstudy Academy teacher truly believe that in order to master complex mathematical or scientific laws and principles and then turn around and be able to effectively apply them, a teacher must set high expectations and simultaneous provide support. Math and science students are commonly referred to as “members-in-training of the scientific community”. This description highlights the tremendous responsibility teachers have in shaping the next generation of thought leaders. With that in mind, Onstudy Academy primary role is to focus the naïve curiosity of these “members-in-training” to the scientific and mathematic disciplines. We guide students by setting clear expectations and objectives and use a combination of video lessons, animations, and teaching methods to capture students with varying learning styles. Foremost, all teachers at Onstudy Academy provide help — while being ever vigilant of the balance between providing assistance, which truly enables active leaning.
Program Planning Considerations
Teachers, planning and developing a program of study will take into account considerations for program planning that align with the Ontario Ministry of Education policy and initiatives in a number of important areas, including:
Onstudy Academy is committed to provide students with the learning opportunities and supports which they require to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to succeed in a rapidly changing society. The context of special education and the provision of special education programs and services for exceptional students in Ontario are constantly evolving.
Provisions included in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code have driven some of these changes. Others have resulted from the evolution and sharing of best practices related to the teaching and assessment of students with special educational needs.
The provision of special education programs and services for students at Onstudy Academy rests within the legal framework of The Education Act. Regulations within the Act set out the legal responsibilities for special education. They provide comprehensive procedures for the identification of exceptional pupils, for the placement of those pupils in educational settings where the special education programs and services appropriate to their needs can be delivered, and for the review of the identification of exceptional pupils and their placement.
Teachers will take into account the needs of exceptional students as set out in the students’
Individual Education Plan. The online courses offer a vast array of opportunities for students with special educations needs to acquire the knowledge and skills required for our evolving society.
Students who use alternative techniques for communication may find a venue to use these special skills in these courses. There are a number of technical and learning aids that can assist in meeting the needs of exceptional students as set out in their Individual Education Plan. In the process of taking their online course, students may use a personal amplification system, tele-typewriter (via Bell relay service), an oral or a sign-language interpreter, a scribe, specialized computer programs, time extensions, ability to change font size, oral readers, etc.
Environmental education teaches students about how the planet’s physical and biological systems work, and how we can create a more sustainable future. Good curriculum design allows environmental issues and topics to be woven in and out of the online course content. This ensures that the student will have opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices needed to become an environmentally literate citizen. The online course should provide opportunities for each student to address environmental issues in their home, in their local community, or even at the global level.
Onstudy Academy will take steps to reduce discrimination and embrace diversity in our online school in order to improve overall student achievement and reduce achievement gaps due to discrimination. The Ontario Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy was launched in April 2009 and states that all members of the Onstudy Academy community are to be treated with respect and dignity. This strategy will help Onstudy Academy educators better identify and remove discriminatory biases and systemic barriers to student achievement. These barriers related to racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination may prevent some students from reaching their full potential. The strategy supports the Ministry’s key education priorities of high student achievement, reduced gaps in student achievement and increased accountability and public confidence in Ontario’s schools. Students, regardless of their background or personal circumstances, must be given every opportunity to reach their full potential. Research shows that when students feel welcomed and accepted in their school, they are more likely to succeed academically.
Onstudy Academy will strive to create a culture of high expectations where factors such as race, age, gender, sexual orientation and socio-economic status do not prevent students from achieving ambitious outcomes an reaching their full potentials.
Financial literacy may be defined as having the knowledge and skills needed to make responsible economic and financial decisions with competence and confidence. Since making financial decisions has become an increasingly complex task in the modern world, students need to have knowledge in various areas and a wide range of skills in order to make informed decisions about financial matters.
Students need to be aware of risks that accompany various financial choices. They need to develop an understanding of world economic forces as well as ways in which they themselves can respond to those influences and make informed choices. Onstudy Academy considers it essential that financial literacy be considered an important attribute of a well-educated population. In addition to acquiring knowledge in such specific areas as saving, spending, borrowing, and investing, students need to develop skills in problem solving, inquiry, decision making, critical thinking, and critical literacy related to financial and other issues. The goal is to help students acquire the knowledge and skills that will enable them to understand and respond to complex issues regarding their own personal finances and the finances of their families, as well as to develop an understanding of local and global effects of world economic forces and the social, environmental, and ethical implications of their own choices as consumers. The Ministry of Education and Onstudy Academy will work to incorporate financial literacy expectations and opportunities in all courses as appropriate, as part of the ongoing curriculum review process.
First Nation, Metis, and Inuit students in Ontario will need to have the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to successfully complete their elementary and secondary education in order to pursue postsecondary education or training and/or to enter the workforce. They will need to have the traditional and contemporary knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to be socially contributive, politically active, and economically prosperous citizens of the world. All students in Ontario will need to have knowledge and appreciation of contemporary and traditional First Nation, Metis, and Inuit traditions, cultures, and perspectives. Onstudy Academy and the Ministry of Education will be committed to First Nation, Metis, and Inuit student success. Onstudy Academy teachers are committed to (1) developing strategies that will increase the capacity of the education system to respond to the learning and cultural needs of First Nation, Metis, and Inuit students; (2) providing quality programs, services, and resources to help create learning opportunities for First Nation, Metis, and Inuit students that support improved academic achievement and identity building; (3) providing a curriculum that facilitates learning about contemporary and traditional First Nation, Metis, and Inuit cultures, histories, and perspectives among all students where possible; and (4) developing and implementing strategies that facilitate increased participation by First Nation, Metis, and Inuit parents, students, communities, and organizations in working to support the academic success of the student.
Information literacy is the ability to access, select, gather, critically evaluate, and create information.
Communication literacy refers to the ability to communicate information and to use the information obtained to solve problems and make decisions. Information and communications technologies are utilized by all Onstudy Academy students when the situation is appropriate within their online course. As a result, students will develop transferable skills through their experience with word processing, internet research, presentation software, and telecommunication tools, as would be expected in any other course or any business environment.
This Onstudy Academy online course provides a wide range of learning strategies for ESL/ELD students. This online course must be flexible in order to accommodate the needs of students who require instruction in English as a second language or English literacy development.
The Onstudy Academy teacher considers it to be their responsibility to help students develop their ability to use the English language properly. Appropriate modifications to teaching, learning, and evaluation strategies in this course may be made in order to help students gain proficiency in English, since students taking English as a second language at the secondary level have limited time in which to develop this proficiency.
All course content is presented by professionals who use Standard English and model effective communication skills for science and mathematics. Onstudy Academy has created an enriched course content to support a student’s learning experience. By doing so, students will not only be exposed to the appropriate jargon and terminology used by scientists and anyone in the life science fields but sharpen their written and communication skills.
As the online student progresses through their online course, their teacher is available to help the student prepare for employment in a huge number of diverse areas. With the help of their teacher, students will learn to set and achieve goals and will gain experience in making meaningful decisions concerning their career choices. The skills, knowledge and creativity that students acquire through this online course are essential for a wide range of careers. Throughout their secondary school education, students will learn about the educational and career opportunities that are available to them; explore and evaluate a variety of those opportunities; relate what they learn in their courses to potential careers in a variety of fields; and learn to make appropriate educational and career choices.
By applying the skills they have developed, students will readily connect their classroom learning to real-life activities in the world in which they live. Cooperative education and other workplace experiences will broaden their knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. In addition, students will increase their understanding of workplace practices and the nature of the employer-employee relationship. Onstudy Academy teachers will guide students to higher learning opportunities at Universities in Ontario and to internships/fellowships at Research Institutions and Industries (e.g., Ontario Genomics Institute, Universities of Guelph, Waterloo, Western, Queens’, Sanofi Pasteur among others).
The Science and Biology program provides the reading and analytical skills for the student to be able to explore the variety of concepts relating to health and safety in the workplace. Teachers who provide support for students in workplace learning placements need to assess placements for safety and ensure that students can read and understand the importance of issues relating to health and safety in the workplace, including the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).
Regular attendance in a learning environment is vital to being successful in a course. Students who do not participate in their online course regularly will be less likely to do well in a course. The following processes have been put into place to encourage regular attendance by the student:
Onstudy Academy strongly believes in the importance and value of completing a secondary education. Our commitment to reach every student and help them achieve a successful outcome stems from the increasing value of attaining a high school diploma as a pre-requisite for higher education, and economic and social mobility in our ever-changing world. In Ontario, students are required to remain in secondary school until the student has reached the age of eighteen or obtained an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Students have a legal obligation to remain in school until they are 18 years old.
Onstudy Academy has set three main goals:
An Ontario Student Record (OSR) is established for each student enrolled in a Ministry-inspected Ontario school. The OSR is an ongoing record and is transferred between schools attended. The OSR contains biographical information about the student, a listing of schools attended, parent and guardian information, the Ontario Student Transcript (OST), final report cards, a record of second language instruction and any other special records of standardized testing, identifications or placement determinations, and health or psychological reports. Parents or students can review the contents of the OSR by contacting Onstudy Academy administration. Each student and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of a student who is not an adult is entitled to have access to the student’s OSR.
If a student is enrolled in one or two courses at Onstudy Academy and is also enrolled in another Ontario school, the school where the student takes most of the courses will hold the OSR. Onstudy Academy is not responsible for holding OSR for graduated students. The graduating school is obligated to keep the OSR. If a students has not graduated from high school and is taking courses towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), Onstudy Academy will request the transfer of the OSR from the last school the student attended and manage and keep the OSR according to the Education Act regulations. Examples of records keep in the OSR include report cards, community, results of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy test, and transcripts.
Because each student has his or her own learning style, a variety of assessment tools will be used to provide ample opportunity for a student to demonstrate that he/she has achieved the learning goals. At Onstudy Academy, teachers will use five main principles for assessing a student’s work. There are:
The Achievement Chart
The achievement chart for each subject matter is included in the curriculum policy document, specific to that discipline. The chart provides a reference point for all assessment practice and a framework within which to assess and evaluate student achievement.
Achievement Chart | ||
| Percentage Grade Range | Achievement Level | Summary Description |
| 80-100% | Level 4 | A very high to outstanding level of achievement. Achievement is above the provincial standard. |
| 70-79% | Level 3 | A high level of achievement. Achievement is at the provincial standard. |
| 60-69% | Level 2 | A moderate level of achievement. Achievement is below, but approaching, the provincial standard. |
| 50-59% | Level 1 | A passable level of achievement. Achievement is below the provincial standard. |
| below 50% | Level R | Insufficient achievement of curriculum expectations. A credit will not be granted. |
NOTE: Level 3 (70-79%) is the provincial standard. Teachers and parents can be confident that students who are achieving at level 3 are well prepared for work in the next grade or a subsequent course. A student whose achievement is below 50% at the end of the course will not obtain a credit for the course.