Students may challenge courses according to the guidelines of the Guide to Education (page 113). All student who register for a course challenge must meet with Palliser Beyond Borders principal. A schedule for the course challenge will be established. Challenging a final exam in a course is not sufficient for a course challenge. The onus will be on the student to prepare a portfolio which demonstrates that the student has an understanding of the student learning outcomes as outlined in the Alberta Program of Studies.
Fees: The fees for course challenges will be 50% of the applicable charges as listed here.
Any senior high school student in Alberta who believes that they possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes for a senior high school course as specified in the program of studies, and is ready to demonstrate that achievement through a formal, summative assessment process, may initiate a request for course challenge to their high school principal. For diploma examination courses, this applies only to the school-awarded mark component. The student who initiates the course challenge process shall take responsibility for providing evidence of readiness to challenge a course (e.g., a portfolio, other collection, documentation of work and/or experience, a recommendation from a junior high school teacher)
Diploma Examination Courses
The course challenge provision applies to non-diploma examination courses and only to the school-awarded mark component of diploma examination courses. Students challenging a non-diploma course will be given a final course mark, and, if successful, credits in that course. Credit in diploma examination courses can be achieved only through a combination of the school-awarded mark (70%) and the diploma examination mark (30%). Course challenge in diploma examination courses applies only to the school-awarded mark component of the course and, therefore, will not result in a final course mark or in credits until after the student successfully completes the diploma examination for that course.
Course Challenge for Languages
In the assessment process for a language course challenge, students need to perform a number of oral, written, listening and reading comprehension tasks as well as show samples of their work that demonstrate the expected knowledge, skills and attitudes for the course being challenged. Student performance and quality of work are to be evaluated by an Alberta certificated teacher who has expertise in the language course being challenged. Only a Francophone school in Alberta can offer course challenge and credit for Français.
Exceptions
The course challenge provision applies only to students who believe they have the knowledge, skills and attitudes as defined by the program of studies for a given course. Students are not permitted to challenge the following courses:
• Agriculture Safety (AGR3000)
• all Green Certificate Program courses
• all Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) courses
• Career and Technology Studies (CTS) courses completed in grades 7, 8 and 9
• Career Internship 10
• locally developed/acquired and authorized courses, with the exception of locally developed language courses
• Special Projects 10, 20 and 30
• Work Experience 15, 25 and 35
• Workplace Practicum 20-4 and 30-4
• Workplace Readiness 10-4
• Workplace Safety Systems (HCS3000).
Students
A student may not initiate a course challenge for a course in a lower-level sequence if the student has been awarded credits in a course in a higher-level sequence. For example, a student who has earned credits for Science 30 may not challenge Science 24. High school mathematics course sequences are an exception, as they are designed based on content rather than level of difficulty. A student may challenge Mathematics 20-3 or Mathematics 20-2 after being awarded credits in Mathematics 20-1, as Mathematics 20-1 is not considered part of a higher-level course sequence in this instance. The same exception applies to 30-level mathematics courses.
A student who has been waived into a higher-level course in a sequence may challenge the lower-level course(s) in that sequence. For example, a student who is waived into Science 30 may challenge Science 20.
A student who challenges a course, either successfully or unsuccessfully, may subsequently choose to take the course.