Lord Beaverbrook High School
Participation in the Graduation Ceremony
School Community Dialogue and Discussion
2014
Alberta Education has defined the minimum requirement for a student to attain an Alberta High
School Diploma and Certificate of High School Achievement. This information can be found at:
Alberta Education Guide to Education Refer to the section entitled Senior High School/Program
Organization.
Each high school in the CBE can establish its own policy for participation in the graduation
ceremony. This policy determines who is eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony for
Lord Beaverbrook High School. There is no longer a CBE Administrative Regulation concerning
High School Graduation.
Lord Beaverbrook High School’s policy for Participation in the Graduation Ceremony and
Banquet is as follows:
Participation in Graduation Ceremonies requires students to:
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Meet the requirements for a High School Diploma or Certificate by June 30 of the Gr. 12
year.
Be achieving 50% in all Semester 1 and 2 courses at the time of the posted graduating
list, approximately three weeks before graduation.
Be in regular attendance.
Meet or exceed stated expectations for student academic performance and behavior as
outlined in the Lord Beaverbrook High School Code of Conduct and
Assumes the required graduation fee has been paid.
Participation in Graduation Banquet:
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Students not meeting expectations for participation in the graduation ceremony will be
permitted to attend the graduation banquet at the discretion of Administration.
Participation in the graduation ceremony can be seen as a right or a privilege. As a right, it could
be argued that all students in grade 12 should walk across the stage as a symbol of completion
of twelve years of public education. As a privilege, it could be argued that only those students
who have met requirements set by the school in conjunction with requirements for a High
School Diploma or Certificate of Achievement, have earned the right to walk across the stage as
a symbol of achievement and graduation from high school.
This policy:
1. Can be seen as an end point or starting point or both. As an end point, this policy filters
out those students who are not in position to graduate, and does not allow them to
participate in the graduation ceremony. As a starting point, this policy could inform
course selection, starting as early as grade 9 into grade 10 to ensure students are
registered in courses that will ensure their success.
2. Could upon entry into high school, inform work done by the school in cooperation with
parents, guardians to support and program students for success.
3. Allows students to be responsible for their own learning.
4. Allows students (parents, guardians) to choose courses that will challenge them
academically and at a level higher than a teacher recommendation.
5. Was set to influence the culture of student achievement and expectation for student
performance at Lord Beaverbrook High School.
6. Was re-written in June 2013. The factors influencing the decision to re-write the policy
were:
a) Concerns expressed by staff regarding student attendance, truancy.
b) Data from the Tell Them from Me Survey (TTFM) where 58% of our grade 12
students admitted to skipping or being truant from classes on a regular basis.
c) Concerns expressed by staff regarding student achievement.
d) Emerging need to build understanding within the school community regarding
minimum standards for a high school diploma, and what those standards represent
related to entry into post-secondary education and transition into the world of work.
e) Data from the School Development Plan and established goals to address our
student’s ability to respond to complex abstract text, enhance critical thinking skills,
engage in meaningful tasks, and assessment for learning.
f) Lord Beaverbrook High School graduation rate of 68%.
g) Fraser Report ranking Lord Beaverbrook fourth from the last of all CBE High
Schools.
This policy is influenced (and thereby students are influenced) by several factors (not in any
particular order):
a) Teacher recommendations for course registration starting in grade 9 and through to
grade 12.
b) Students following teacher recommendations or not.
c) Student success and achievement.
d) Student future plans to attend a post-secondary institution, engage in work or other
life experiences.
e) Subsequent student, parent, guardian knowledge of post-secondary entrance
requirements or pre-requisites.
f) Translation of post-secondary entrance requirements or pre-requisites into
appropriate course selections in high school.
g) Desired timeline on the part of students, parents, guardians, for entrance into postsecondary education or work.
h) Parents, guardians influence on student course selection and registration.
i) Transition dialogue and discussion between high school and feeder middle schools
regarding assessment, evaluation, essential learner outcomes.
j) Lord Beaverbrook High School’s ability to program for student interests, choices,
learning and behavior needs.
k) Effectiveness of the instructional program at Lord Beaverbrook High School.
l) Teaching practice, assessment and evaluation at Lord Beaverbrook High School.
m) Credit rescue/recovery and attempted interventions with students who are not
completing course work or meeting stated academic standards.
n) Student attendance, motivation and choices made by the student.
o) School policies that monitor, act upon student attendance, student expectations for
performance and conduct.
p) Support from parents, guardians related to school attendance, achievement, and as
the primary educator, stated expectations, aspirations for the future for their son or
daughter.
Participation in the Graduation Ceremony
LBHS School Community Dialogue and Discussion
2014
Guiding Questions
For School Staff:
1. What have students in grade 10, 11 or 12 said to you about this policy change?
2. Does the policy for participation in the graduation ceremony set a reasonable, achievable
expectation for all of our students?
3. Is the policy for participation in the graduation ceremony fair to all of our students? Who is it
fair towards? Who is it unfair towards?
4. If you were able to establish the graduation policy, what would you establish as the minimum
standard?
5. What are the reasons why our students are unable to achieve 50%?
6. Alberta Education defines a passing mark as 50%. If not 50% in the policy, what should be
the minimum expectation?
7. What other additions might be needed to the policy?
Participation in the Graduation Ceremony
LBHS School Community Dialogue and Discussion
2014
Guiding Questions
For Students:
1. Does the policy for participation in the graduation ceremony set a reasonable,
achievable expectation for all of our students?
2. Is the policy for participation in the graduation ceremony fair to all of our students?
Who is it fair towards? Who is it unfair towards?
3. If you were able to establish the graduation policy, what would you establish as the
minimum standard?
4. What are the reasons why our students are unable to achieve 50%?
5. Are any of the reasons why our students are unable to achieve 50% a result of
inaction by the school, decision making, expectations, response to learning needs or
lack thereof?
6. Alberta Education defines a passing mark as 50%. If not 50% in the policy, what
should be the minimum expectation?
7. What other additions might be needed to the policy?
Participation in the Graduation Ceremony
LBHS School Community Dialogue and Discussion
2014
Guiding Questions
For Parents/Guardians:
1. What are the results of this policy since its introduction and discussion with students?
2. What have students in grade 10, 11 or 12 said to you about this policy change?
3. Does the policy for participation in the graduation ceremony set a reasonable, achievable
expectation for all of our students?
4. Is the policy for participation in the graduation ceremony fair to all of our students? Who is it
fair towards? Who is it unfair towards?
5. If you were able to establish the graduation policy, what would you establish as the minimum
standard?
6. What are the reasons why our students are unable to achieve 50%?
7. Alberta Education defines a passing mark as 50%. If not 50% in the policy, what should be
the minimum expectation?
8. What other additions might be needed to the policy?