School Completion Certificate Program

The School Completion (“Evergreen”) Certificate is intended to celebrate success in learning that is not recognized in a Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma).

It is used to recognize the accomplishments of students with disabilities or diverse abilities and an Individual Education Plan, who have met the goals of their education program, other than graduation (and not all students with disabilities or diverse abilities should be in an Evergreen Certificate Program.) 

The Evergreen Certificate is not a graduation credential; students who receive an Evergreen have not graduated. It is important that students and their parents clearly understand that the Evergreen represents the completion of personal learning goals but does not represent graduation.

Some students may be unable to meet graduation requirements due to their disabilities or diverse abilities. However, the decision to put a student in an Evergreen Program should not be made prior to Grade 10, and should include the informed consent of the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s).

All students of school age are entitled to an education program, whether or not that program leads to graduation. For students pursuing an Evergreen Certificate, their education program should enable them to meet their individual learning goals. Accordingly, they should have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that indicates their personal education goals, how the goals will be achieved, and on-going monitoring and assessment to know when the goals have been met and an Evergreen Certificate should be issued. Parents and, wherever appropriate, the student are to be provided an opportunity to be consulted about the preparation of the IEP.

Transcripts

In addition to receiving a School Completion Certificate, students on this path are also entitled to a Ministry transcript of successfully completed Grades 10-12 courses, both for-credit and non-credit, including Ministry-authorized, Board/Authority Authorized (BAA), and Locally Developed (LD) courses. 

BAA and LD courses with generic course codes should be (re)titled to meaningfully represent course content before submission to the Ministry’s Transcript and Examinations (TRAX) system. For example, the generic title ‘LD IEP Modified Course 12A’ could be renamed ‘LD IEP 12A Banking.’ These customized titles are printed on the student’s transcript, providing a meaningful record of course content and the student’s education program accomplishments for prospective employers and post-secondary institutions. 

Boards of Education may request a transcript for students who have earned an Evergreen. However, if a transcript is not in the student's best interest, schools may apply for the School Completion Certificate only.