This document is a revision of the Locally Developed Courses of Study Policy as taken from the 1997 document Policy and Procedures for Locally Developed and Modified Courses of Study, and Alternative Education Programs.

School divisions make choices to best serve the students in their jurisdiction. Two types of programs provide a variety of options for the full range of students attending the province’s schools. Within the Regular Education Program there are three course options: provincially developed, locally developed and locally modified. The Alternative Education Program offers two options: Alternative Grade 10, 11, 12 and Functional Integrated Programs.

Figure 1 illustrates the range of options available to Saskatchewan school divisions in providing education for secondary students.

Figure 1: Secondary Level Courses and Programs

The needs of most students can be met through the selection of provincially developed course offerings within the Regular Education Program. The Adaptive Dimension allows teachers to make adjustments to their instruction, environment, and curriculum topics and materials to accommodate diversity and to help all students achieve curriculum objectives (see Appendix A).. However, there may be situations where the unique needs of students cannot be met in this way. In this case, school divisions may offer other courses by following the policy and guidelines Saskatchewan Learning has established for approval of Secondary Level courses. The policy outlined in this document provides guidelines for school personnel in providing Locally Developed Courses to students.

In partnership with parents, students, and professional staff, school divisions determine the specific needs, interests and abilities of students, and plan programs and courses of study that address them. Locally Developed Courses (designated 10L, 20L, 30L) are developed by school divisions to meet local needs that are not met by provincially developed curricula and, typically, are not in the Required Areas of Study.

Roles and Responsibilities

The processes of ensuring students receive appropriate educational programs suited to their individual needs and abilities are a shared responsibility between school divisions and the Department. The following describes the respective responsibilities of each of those partners:

1. School Divisions

School division personnel are responsible for:

• Identifying students who would best be served through Locally Developed Courses.
• Consulting with Regional Office or OMLO (for French Immersion or Francophone courses) staff prior to the development of Locally Developed Courses.
• Developing a course description consistent with the requirements.
• Completing the appropriate forms necessary for the formal process of Department approval for LDCs.
• Providing continuous monitoring of courses of study and programs to ensure the content and structure meet the needs of students.
• Updating courses of study and programs as needs of students change.

Schools

School personnel are responsible for:

• Submitting student enrolment, demographic information, course registration and marks to the Registrar’s Office of the Department.
• Teaching the course as described in the application for approval.

2. Saskatchewan Learning

The responsibility for consultation and approval of course and program submissions from school divisions is shared among a number of areas within the Department.

The Regional Director or designate, or OMLO:

• Responds to inquiries and refers requests to appropriate personnel regarding development of a Locally Developed Course.
• Forwards Locally Developed Courses to the Executive Director.
• Informs school divisions of the status of the approval.

The Executive Director:

• Reviews Locally Developed Courses and approves the courses, or returns the courses to the Regional Office with suggestions for revision to meet the requirements, or denies approval of the course.
• Forwards notification of approval or denial to the Registrar’s Office.

Provincial Examinations, Student and Teacher Services Unit (Registrar’s Office)

• Records student demographic data to enrol a student in a specific school program.
• Registers courses and programs, assigns new course codes when a new course is approved, enters the approval on the Student Data System for that school or school division, and records student-specific course registration.
• Records student marks for Secondary Level courses and produces student transcripts.