Assessing Student Attendance and Participation | Durham Catholic District School Board

Beginning in September 2026, the Ontario Ministry of Education had updated the province-wide assessment and evaluation policy to include attendance and participation as part of a student’s final grade in a course.

Information for Parents & Guardians Information for Students

Information for Parents and Guardians

Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, attendance and participation form part of the final mark in Grades 9–12. The weighting is 15% in Grades 9–10 and 10% in Grades 11–12. Excused absences do not negatively affect the mark.

Any student absence, where a parent either contacts the school directly or reports the absence through the school’s attendance portal, will be considered an “excused absence”. Parents/Guardians will have up to 2 weeks after a student absence to ensure that student attendance records are accurate. Any updates of attendance records after that date will require the parent/guardian to contact the student’s vice principal.

While lates (excused or unexcused) are not reflected in this rubric, students must be in class to be able to fully participate. Persistent lates may affect participation mark in courses.

How Attendance Will Be Evaluated

**Attendance: Rubric for Unexcused Absences**
Achievement Level	Below Level 1	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Number of Unexcused Absences	More than 9 classes per semester	7.5 - 9 classes per semester	5 – 7 classes per semester	2.5 - 4.5 classes per semester	2 or fewer per semester
Half-Credit Courses/At Midterm	More than 4 classes	4 classes	3 classes	2 classes	1 class

How Participation May Be Demonstrated

Participation is broader than speaking often in class. Students may demonstrate engagement through questions, discussion, active listening, written or visual responses, digital contributions, conferences, collaboration, reflection, problem-solving, demonstrations, practical tasks, and other accessible forms connected to learning.

How Families Can Support

Encourage the student to ask for clarification, feedback, or a more accessible way to contribute.
Communicate relevant cultural, language, faith, disability, health, mental health, caregiving, transportation, or access considerations to the school as appropriate.
Ensure the school receives required information for absences and contact the school if attendance coding appears incorrect. Parents/Guardians will have up to 2 weeks after a student absence to ensure that student attendance records are accurate.
Celebrate growth in listening, questioning, reflection, collaboration, respectful communication, and contribution to community, not only public speaking.

Information for Students

In Grades 9 and 10, a student’s final mark will be based on:

65% classroom work completed throughout the course
20% mandatory final evaluations, broken down as described below
15% attendance and participation

In Grades 11 and 12, a student’s final mark will be based on:

65% classroom work completed throughout the course
25% mandatory final evaluations, broken down as described below
10% attendance and participation

Educators will use their professional judgement to determine how much of the 15% in grades 9 and 10 and 10% in grades 11 and 12 will be allocated to attendance and how much will be allocated to participation.

**Attendance: Rubric for Unexcused Absences**
Achievement Level	Below Level 1	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Number of Unexcused Absences	More than 9 classes per semester	7.5 - 9 classes per semester	5 – 7 classes per semester	2.5 - 4.5 classes per semester	2 or fewer per semester
Half-Credit Courses/At Midterm	More than 4 classes	4 classes	3 classes	2 classes	1 class

Any student absence, where a parent either contacts the school directly or reports the absence through the school’s attendance portal, will be considered an “excused absence”. Parents/Guardians will have up to 2 weeks after a student absence to ensure that student attendance records are accurate.

While lates (excused or unexcused) are not reflected in this rubric, you must be in class to be able to fully participate. Persistent lates can affect your participation mark in your courses.

Reporting

Your attendance and participation will be part of both your midterm mark, and your final mark in a course.

Student Participation

As a member of a Catholic learning community, you are called to share your gifts, talents, knowledge and skills with others. The Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations guide the learning of all students in Catholic schools by providing a vision of who the Catholic learner is becoming. It is through that lens that you can ensure consistent participation in learning. The table below provides examples of how you can engage in learning and contribute to you Catholic learning community.

OCSGE Lens	Dimension	What Does Participation Look Like?
A discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith community	I engage with learning	I reflect, and ask relevant and critical questions I consider ethical dimensions I listen with openness, and act respectfully
An effective communicator	I communicate in varied ways	I contribute in a variety of forms (oral, written, visual) I am an active listener and am respectful in dialogue
A reflective, creative and holistic thinker	I demonstrate thinking	I ask relevant or clarifying questions I explain reasoning or provide examples I compare, revise, or respectfully challenge ideas using evidence
A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner	I am an active learner	I begin or return to learning promptly when requested I connect learning to prior knowledge or experience I use feedback to revise or extend thinking
A collaborative contributor	I collaborate	I contribute to group work I suggest next steps in group projects and take initiative I connect learning to prior knowledge or experience I build on or acknowledge another person’s idea
A caring family member	I am a member of a Catholic learning community	I act with care, empathy, and respect I commit to creating a belonging classroom environment
A responsible citizen	I contribute to community	I encourage inclusion and help create a positive classroom culture I arrive to class promptly I enter the class respectfully when I have signed in with an excused late slip

The critical relationship between learning and believing, between knowledge and faith, is fundamental to the mandate of Catholic schools. By actively participating in your learning, you are developing your knowledge, communication skills, responsibility, and faith.