Ontario’s New Attendance and Participation Grade Policy: What Parents Need to Know

A parent guide to Ontario’s September 2026 secondary-school grading changes

Published: August 13, 2026

At a glance

The policy begins in the 2026–27 school year.
It applies to Ontario students in Grades 9 to 12—not elementary students.
Attendance and participation will count for 15% of final marks in Grades 9 and 10.
Attendance and participation will count for 10% in Grades 11 and 12.
Excused absences must not negatively affect a student’s mark.

Beginning in September 2026, attendance and classroom participation will directly affect the final grades of Ontario secondary-school students. The change is part of the province’s updated assessment policy introduced under Education Minister Paul Calandra.

For YCDSB families, this is an important change. A student’s final mark will no longer be calculated only from assignments, tests, projects and final evaluations. Attendance and participation will become a separate graded component in every secondary course.

What is Ontario’s new grading formula?

Grade	Classroom work	Final evaluations	Attendance and participation
Grades 9–10	65%	20%	15%
Grades 11–12	65%	25%	10%

Most secondary courses will also include written final examinations. Some courses are exempt from mandatory written exams and will use projects, presentations, portfolios or other culminating work instead. The detailed subject-by-subject requirements appear in Ontario’s updated Growing Success assessment policy.

How will attendance and participation be graded?

The Ministry of Education has published a combined attendance-and-participation rubric. The following ranges refer to the attendance-and-participation component, not the student’s entire course mark.

Level 4: 80%–100%

The student has unexcused absences for no more than 2.5% of classes—approximately two or fewer classes in a semester. The student consistently contributes to discussions, asks relevant questions, respects others’ contributions and helps create a positive classroom environment.

Level 3: 70%–79%

The student misses between 2.5% and 5% of classes without an accepted excuse—approximately 2.5 to 4.5 classes per semester. Participation is generally consistent, with relevant questions, some contributions and respectful classroom conduct.

Level 2: 60%–69%

The student has unexcused absences for between 5% and 7.5% of classes—approximately five to seven classes per semester. The student participates occasionally and sometimes contributes ideas.

Level 1: 50%–59%

The student misses between 7.5% and 10% of classes without an accepted excuse—approximately 7.5 to nine classes per semester. Classroom participation is infrequent.

Below Level 1: less than 50%

The student misses more than 10% of classes without an accepted excuse—more than approximately nine classes per semester—and does not demonstrate the listed participation behaviours.

Are marks automatically deducted for every absence?

Not necessarily. Ontario has published a combined rubric rather than a simple province-wide formula that deducts a fixed number of marks for every missed class. Teachers will consider both the student’s unexcused attendance record and evidence of participation. The updated policy continues to allow teachers to exercise professional judgment.

Parents should ask their child’s school how the combined component will be documented and calculated, especially when attendance and participation point toward different achievement levels.

Will an excused absence reduce a student’s grade?

Ontario’s policy states that excused absences must not negatively affect the mark. Examples may include illness, unavoidable circumstances, inclement weather, approved cultural observances and religious holy days.

Parents should still report absences promptly and follow the school’s required procedure. Schools must code absences according to provincial instructions and board policies. Ontario provides a concise explanation on its student assessment and report-card page.

After a concussion, discuss attendance, workload and participation with the school and the treating clinician. The guide to returning to school after a concussion explains the questions to raise about learning adjustments and the separate return-to-sport process.

What does “participation” mean?

The provincial rubric looks beyond simply being physically present. It considers whether a student:

participates in classroom discussions;
contributes relevant ideas;
asks appropriate questions;
respects other people’s contributions;
demonstrates positive leadership; and
helps foster a positive classroom culture.

Participation should not be interpreted as rewarding only the students who speak most frequently. Students can demonstrate engagement in different ways. Teachers will need to consider the course, the learning activity, the student’s circumstances and any required accommodations.

What about quiet, anxious or neurodivergent students?

This is one of the most important implementation questions. Some students participate readily in large-group conversations. Others demonstrate engagement more effectively through small-group work, written responses, individual conferences, online discussions, practical activities or structured prompts.

Students with autism, anxiety, attention-related disabilities, communication disabilities, hearing loss or other needs may require individualized participation methods. English-language learners may also need appropriate opportunities to demonstrate engagement while developing confidence and language proficiency.

The new grading policy does not remove a school board’s responsibility to accommodate disability-related needs. The Ontario Human Rights Commission explains that education providers must provide individualized accommodation and may need to modify evaluation methods or formats. Read the OHRC’s accessible-education guidance.

Parents of students with an IEP should ask:

How will participation be measured for my child?
Are the expectations consistent with the IEP?
What alternative ways can my child use to demonstrate engagement?
How will disability-related absences be recorded?
How will teachers distinguish disability-related barriers from disengagement?
When will the attendance-and-participation mark be reviewed with the family?

If anxiety is making attendance difficult, focus the school conversation on the barriers and a workable support plan. Read When school anxiety affects attendance for practical first steps; the guide does not diagnose a child or decide how an absence is recorded.

Could the policy affect university or college applications?

Yes. Attendance and participation will form part of the final course grade recorded on the student’s report card and transcript. For a Grade 12 student, changes across several final course marks may affect an overall admission average.

Students should understand the expectations at the beginning of every course rather than discovering the participation criteria near the end of the semester. Parents should not wait until final report cards are issued to raise concerns.

What should YCDSB parents do before school begins?

Confirm how absences must be reported. Make sure the school has current contact information and learn how to report illness, appointments and other unavoidable absences.
Read each course outline. The teacher should explain how classroom work, final evaluations, attendance and participation combine to produce the final mark.
Ask how participation will be documented. Expectations should be understandable, observable and connected to the provincial criteria.
Discuss accommodations early. Contact the appropriate teacher or administrator if a student has an IEP, medical condition, mental-health concern or disability-related participation barrier.
Review attendance records regularly. Errors are easier to correct soon after they occur.
Monitor the mark during the semester. Ask for clarification when the assessment does not appear consistent with documented attendance or engagement.
Avoid unnecessary absences. Attendance supports learning, but parents should not send a sick child to school out of fear of a grade penalty.

What should fair implementation look like?

The policy’s success will depend on consistent and accessible implementation. Students and families should receive clear written expectations, accurate attendance coding, multiple ways to demonstrate participation, timely feedback, proper treatment of excused absences and a straightforward process for correcting errors.

Attendance matters, but chronic absenteeism can result from illness, disability, mental health, bullying, family responsibilities, transportation difficulties or disengagement. A grading policy should be accompanied by early support that addresses why a student is missing school.

The bottom line for YCDSB families

The policy begins in September 2026 and applies to Grades 9–12.
Attendance and participation will count for 15% in Grades 9–10 and 10% in Grades 11–12.
Excused absences must not negatively affect the mark.
Ontario has published attendance ranges and participation criteria.
Most secondary courses will also have mandatory final evaluations.
Students with disability-related needs remain entitled to appropriate accommodation.
Parents should clarify expectations and correct attendance-record errors early.

As of August 13, I did not find a prominent YCDSB public page explaining every local implementation detail. Families should monitor official YCDSB and school communications before the new school year.

Continue reading

Have a question about how the new grading policy may affect your family? Use the secure contact form. Please do not submit confidential student records.