AP 201

Evergreen Certificate (School Completion Certificate)

Background 

The B.C. School Completion (“Evergreen”) Certificate celebrates the learning accomplishments, other than graduation, for students with Ministry of Education and Child Care designations who have successfully completed the goals of their Individual Education Plan. The Evergreen Certificate is not a graduation credential; students who have received an Evergreen Certificate have not graduated.  Not all students with Ministry designated special needs should be in an Evergreen Certificate Program.  This administrative procedure outlines eligibility and procedural requirements to ensure that Evergreen Certificates are awarded appropriately.

Eligibility 

To be eligible to receive a Ministry of Education and Child Care issued Evergreen Certificate, students must: 

  1. Have a Ministry of Education and Child Care special education designation; and
  2. Have a cognitive impairment or a developmental disability impacting adaptive functioning that precludes them from meeting the graduation requirements of a Dogwood Graduation Program, even with adaptations and support.
  3. Be working on an educational program that:
    1. Is completely defined by the goals and objectives of an individual education plan (IEP) or 
    2. Is partly defined by the goals and objectives of an IEP and partly by the Ministry of Education and Child Care standards; and
    3. Is not designed to meet the graduation requirements of the Dogwood Diploma or Adult Dogwood Diploma; and
    4. Includes IEP goals and objectives in a minimum of the following three areas: 
      1. Individualized functional academics or academic skills intervention 
      2. Self-determination and independence 
      3. Transition planning
  4. Complete up to eighty (80) hours of physical activity in their final school year in school, home, or community.  Physical activity is defined as participation in one or more physical activities which could include physiotherapy, community-based activities, Special Olympics, adapted or regular physical education courses. 

Procedures

  1. The decision to place a student on an Evergreen Certificate Program should not be made prior to grade 10.
  2. Course scheduling shall provide opportunities to enroll in courses that support a Dogwood Diploma or Adult Dogwood Diploma, as appropriate.
  3. When considering placing a student on an Evergreen Certificate Program, consultation with the school psychologist should first occur to confirm eligibility.  If eligible, the school psychologist will provide a Consent for Evergreen Certificate Program.
  4. Consultation with the family can then proceed and informed consent of the parent(s)/guardian(s) must be obtained. 
  5. Signed consent form (Attachment) gets placed in the student’s G4 file and a copy is sent to District Learning Support Services department.
  6. The Student Information Systems Clerk is required to change the grad track to SCCP (School Completion Certificate Program) in the student information system.
  7. Upon completion, the school will submit the relevant SCCP data to the Ministry of Education and Child Care.  The Ministry of Education and Child Care will then prepare and distribute to the school a specially designed Evergreen Certificate, distinct from the Dogwood Diploma, for authorized signature and distribution to the student. (See Ministerial Order 205/95). 
  8. Students who are approved to continue in the district for an extra year (12+) to complete their IEP goals must have their SCCP date changed to the following year.  A student must not be marked as completed until the end of their final year.

Last Revised: June 2023
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