North Credit/Student Success

Click here to learn about our credit programs and begin registration.

We will reach out to you using the contact information you provided above to confirm registration.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 905-242-3431 or email heidi.devitt@ddsb.ca

To withdraw from this program, please complete this form.

Program Summary

North Credit allows you to earn or to upgrade marks in high school courses so that you can obtain your diploma, be ready to apply to a post-secondary institution, enter an apprenticeship program in a skilled trade or become employed. We’ll develop a plan that works for you! Other services available to North Credit students are:

  • Educational planning and counselling
  • Evaluation for maturity or equivalent credits
  • Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) for mature students

Call 905-242-3431 or email heidi.devitt@ddsb.ca

To be eligible, you must:

  • be an Ontario resident
  • be a Canadian citizen or Landed Immigrant (some exceptions apply for those on work or study permits)
  • not be attending a publicly funded secondary school
  • be 21 years of age or older

OR

  • be 18, 19 or 20 years of age and hold an Ontario Secondary School Diploma

Students who are 18, 19 or 20 years of age who do not meet the above requirements must first seek permission from Durham Alternative Secondary School (905-579-1990) prior to registering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Adults students are permitted to take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OLC 4O1) in place of re-writing the provincial EQAO literacy test. This credit may count for one of your two compulsory senior English credits, so by taking it you improve your literacy skills, gain confidence, and never have to take the test! 

If you are employed you may earn up to 4 optional (elective) credits towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. There is no need to attend class! Our Cooperative Education teacher meets with you and your employer to outline the requirements, provide you with engaging assignments, and assist you to work through the credit expectations as you continue in your job.

You select one or two courses. We provide you with correspondence materials and you complete 20 lessons, one midterm and one final exam for each course to earn the credit. Our on-site teacher will help individualize your program, provide support for your learning, and supervise your exams in the class. You will also be given the chance to take up to two in-class Learning Strategies credits.

In regular Cooperative Education, your teacher will consult with you and locate a suitable unpaid job placement that will help you reach your career and life goals. In Co-op Works you use your job as a placement so you can get paid as you earn credits. 

Realistically, however many you can handle! Generally over the course of a school year, you can expect to earn one or two in-class Learning Strategies credits (depending upon when you begin), two or three correspondence credits of your choosing, PLAR credits, and perhaps even Cooperative Education credits. 

You are expected to attend virtually one day per week.

Yes. Quite a few adults in the community choose this program to increase their marks for college or university acceptance, to earn pre-requisite courses, or to improve their skills in an area they did not have a chance to pursue while in high school. 

Phone the Durham Alternative Secondary School (905 579 1990) to learn about adolescent programs in your area. 

Yes, attendance in class is only required virtually once per week and the timing can be flexible to suit your work schedule. You may want to also consider Co-op Works if you are employed. 

Yes! Upon successful completion of graduation requirements, you will be granted the authentic Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and invited to our yearly adult graduation ceremony! 

If you earned your Ontario Secondary School Diploma you are welcome at any age. If you are working towards earning the diploma you should be at least 21 years of age (by December 31st of the current school year).

You earn these credits by attending class, working with the teacher on your learning processes and mastering the specific expectations from the Ontario curriculum.

Adult students require 30 credits, the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Requirement and 40 hours of student involvement activities (that’s volunteer time) to earn the OSSD. Keep in mind though, that a significant number of credits and volunteer hours may be earned through the PLAR process depending on your experiences. You are probably ‘closer than you think’! 

PLAR stands for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition. Adult students (at least 18 years of age and out of school for a year) earn any unfinished grade 9 and 10 credits by successfully writing subject assessments instead of taking the courses. This is the ‘assessment’ part. Additionally, grade 11 and 12 credits may be earned for proof of work, training, and/or life experiences that are equivalent to high school courses. This is the ‘prior learning’ part. The number of grantable PLAR credits ranges from one to 26. 

Call 905-242-3431 or email heidi.devitt@ddsb.ca

  1. Proof of Canadian Citizenship (if you were born outside of Canada, please bring the original of one of the documents below):
    1. Canadian citizenship card
    2. Canadian Passport
    3. Permanent Visa
    4. Other Visa
    5. Student Visa
    6. Refugee Status
  2. Photo identification - Canadian Passport, Driver's License, Health Card

If you were born outside of Canada, we will require your place of birth and the date of your landing in Canada for registration. All ID must be in the same name. If you have changed your name you must provide legal proof of the name change.

It is recommended that you bring:

  • a high school transcript/consolidated school report or status sheet from your last secondary school
  • if you are preparing for post-secondary studies, you should bring a list of the pre-requisites for the program(s) you are hoping to work towards

Contact Us

Durham Continuing Education
120 Centre Street
Oshawa, ON
L1H 4A3
Canada
DCEInfo@ddsb.ca