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POLICY STATEMENT

Board/Authority Authorized (BAA) courses are offered or developed by Boards of Education or independent school authorities to meet student needs and interests. They are authorized by boards/authorities according to requirements set by the Ministry of Education. There is no limit to the number of Board of Education/independent school authority authorized courses which may be used as part of the 28 credits of electives needed to fulfill the graduation requirements for the 2004 Graduation Program, or the 24 credits of Selected Studies required for the 1995 Program. In the 1995 and 2004 Programs, Grade 12-level BAA courses may count towards the 16 Grade 12 credits required for graduation.

RATIONALE

The Ministry of Education encourages Boards of Education and independent school authorities to offer locally relevant courses to meet the needs of schools and their communities while providing choice and flexibility for students.

LEGISLATION/ REGULATIONS

Under the authority of the School Act, Sections 85 (2) (i) and 168 (2) (b):

85 (2) … A board may, subject to this Act and the regulations, do all or any of the following…

(i) develop and offer local programs for use in schools in the school district

168 (2) The minister may make orders for the purpose of carrying out any of the minister's powers, duties or functions under this Act and, without restriction, may make orders…

(b) … determining the general requirements for graduation from an educational program

See Ministerial Order 302/04, the Graduation Program Order

ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS

Authority

POLICY

School boards/independent school authorities must authorize each BAA Course and ensure that it meets the BAA Course requirements set out in the document Board/Authority Authorized Courses: Requirements and Procedures. A Board of Education/independent school authority must not offer a BAA course to meet graduation requirements until it has been reviewed by the Ministry

School boards/independent school authorities must retain copies of all BAA Course Frameworks.

A board/authority may convert an existing locally developed program, designated LD, to a BAA Course by ensuring and signing an authorization that the course meets the BAA Course requirements.

Course developers may use the Board/Authority Authorized Course Framework Template in Board/Authority Authorized Courses: Requirements and Procedures, or the district format or template, provided that it meets the BAA Course requirements.

If the Ministry informs a board/authority that a BAA Course does not meet the BAA Course requirements set out in Board/Authority Authorized Courses: Requirements and Procedures and Course Information for the Graduation Program, the board/authority must not offer that course as a course meeting the Ministry's requirements for graduation in the semester or school year following the semester or school year, as applicable, in which the board/authority has been so notified.

The board may revise and re-submit a course that was unacceptable in order to meet the BAA Course requirements set out in the Board/Authority Authorized Courses: Requirements and Procedures and Course Information for the Graduation Program.

BAA Courses do not include modified, remedial or General Educational Development (GED) preparation courses. BAA courses do not have a significant overlap of expected learning outcomes with Ministry of Education authorized courses, except in Fine Arts or Applied Skills (see Fine Arts and Applied Skills Requirements in the Graduation Program for further information).

PROCEDURES

Starting in September 2008, school boards are required to submit to the Ministry of Education each new BAA Course name of each BAA Course they plan to offer in the 2009/2010 school year. New courses should be submitted electronically to EDUC.Achievement@gov.bc.ca or by fax to (250) 387-4789.

Starting in September 2008, course codes for new courses will be selected from a newly created list of 37 general descriptive codes.  Existing BAA course codes must be reassigned to the general descriptive codes by September 2009.  Previous BAA course codes will be closed effective August 31, 2009.