Ontario schools implement new grading rules and financial literacy requirement this September

Ontario secondary schools are overhauling how students are graded starting September 1, making attendance, exams, and participation count toward final marks for the first time.

For grades 9 and 10, final marks will be based on 65 per cent classroom work, 20 per cent mandatory final evaluations, and 15 per cent attendance and participation. In grades 11 and 12, the split is 65 per cent classroom work, 25 per cent mandatory final evaluations, and 10 per cent attendance and participation. Attendance is measured on five levels, from level 4 (missing 0 to 2.5 per cent of classes for unexcused absences) down to below level 1 (missing more than 10 per cent).

Students who entered grade 9 in 2025-26 and onwards must also complete a financial literacy graduation requirement to earn their diploma, completed as part of their compulsory grade 10 Career Studies course. They must score 70 per cent or higher on the financial literacy modules, which make up 5 per cent of their final Career Studies mark.

The EQAO Grade 9 mathematics assessment will be included in students' final grade for the first time, weighted at 20 per cent. Most secondary courses will now require written exams as a percentage of the final course mark.

All school boards across Ontario are required to establish Student and Family Support Offices by September 1 to help families access information on community concerns and resolve complex education issues. Five supervised school boards, including the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board, began opening offices in January. All other school boards were required to submit a report by March 31, 2026, outlining how they would establish an office by the September deadline.