Alternative Education
Commitment to Student Success
The Avon Maitland District School Board is committed to meeting the needs of all learners and ensuring that every student sees a future for themselves within our schools. We recognize that a traditional secondary school model does not work equally well for all students, and that flexible, responsive pathways are essential to supporting engagement, achievement, and well-being.
Through a range of alternative and student success supports, the board offers multiple opportunities for students to earn credits and work toward achieving their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. While addressing curricular requirements, alternative education staff also support students in developing the skills, resilience, and confidence needed to prepare for their next steps in a rapidly changing world.
SSPARC Overview
SSPARC, which stands for Supporting Student Progress, Achievement, Resilience, and Community, is the board’s unified framework for alternative education and enhanced student success supports.
SSPARC is not a new program. Rather, it is a reframing and strengthening of supports that already exist across the system. SSPARC intends to improve coherence, clarity, and access for students, families, and school staff by bringing related programs together under a shared framework and common understanding.
Through SSPARC, supports are aligned to better respond to the needs of our students who face barriers while maintaining flexibility to meet individual circumstances.
Purpose of SSPARC
The purpose of SSPARC is to support students who are not currently experiencing success in a traditional secondary school environment and who require personalized, flexible, and responsive programming.
SSPARC focuses on re-engaging students in learning, supporting credit accumulation toward an OSSD, promoting student well-being and resilience, and strengthening connections to school and community.
The intended outcome of SSPARC is a successful transition to the next pathway. This may include transitioning back to a regular school program, continued supported programming, or transition to another appropriate educational or post-secondary pathway.
SSPARC Program Design
SSPARC programming prioritizes small group instruction, strong adult student relationships, and individualized learning plans. Instruction is flexible and responsive, with attention to literacy, numeracy, credit accumulation, and transferable learning skills.
Equally important are the development of self-regulation, resilience, engagement, and readiness for learning. Predictable routines, clear expectations, and consistent adult support are foundational elements of the SSPARC approach.
The SSPARC Model
SSPARC brings together a range of existing programs and supports under a shared framework.
This allows schools to better coordinate interventions, reduce fragmentation, and create clearer pathways for students.
SSPARC includes the following programming and support options.
- Enhanced Support Sections, including additional sections provided to schools to allow for flexible timetabling and targeted support.
- District Co-operative Education opportunities.
- Itinerant Teacher Support.
- Continuous Intake Online Learning supported through D2L.
- Dual Credit programming.
- Credit Rescue and Credit Recovery opportunities.
- Bridges programming offered at LDSS and SDSS.
- Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL), including part time and in school SAL options.
- Mental Health and Well Being supports.
- mPLAR, or Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition.
These supports may be accessed individually or in combination, depending on student need. SSPARC is not a single pathway, but rather a framework through which multiple pathways can be intentionally planned and aligned.
Who SSPARC Is Designed to Support
Students accessing SSPARC supports typically present with one or more of the following:
- They are significantly behind in credit accumulation, typically eight to ten credits or more behind their cohort.
- They require consistent, intensified academic and engagement support.
- They need flexibility in scheduling, attendance, or delivery of instruction.
- They benefit from differentiated access to curriculum and alternative methods of earning credits.
- They may experience social-emotional, mental health, or life circumstance challenges that impact school success.
SSPARC supports are intended as proactive and supportive interventions. They are not disciplinary in nature and are not intended as a replacement for appropriate in-school strategies and supports.
Referral and Decision-making
Access to SSPARC supports is based on collaborative planning and professional judgement. Referrals and planning involve school administration, Student Success teams, guidance, relevant support staff, and families.
Schools are expected to demonstrate that appropriate classroom-based and school-based interventions have been attempted, monitored, and documented prior to referral to more intensive SSPARC supports.