The School Completion Certificate is commonly called an Evergreen Certificate (named after the evergreen tree pictured on the certificate) and is sometimes called a School Leaving Certificate. It is not a graduation credential, but rather, a recognition of a students’ successful completion of their educational goals as set out in their Individualized Education Plans (IEP).
A School Completion Certificate does not meet graduation requirements and can only be given to students who are on an IEP.
Students who receive a School Completion Certificate are eligible to participate in graduation celebrations, both within the school itself and at First Nations Graduation. However, it is important for students and their parents/guardians to understand the implications of receiving a School Completion Certificate. The options for post-secondary education and employment opportunities with a School Completion Certificate are limited. It does not meet entry requirements of most post-secondary education institutes.
There needs to be some mechanism put in place to look at each student on the School Completion Certificate Path and ensure that the placement is appropriate and the parents and students understand the placement. YFNED will work with the Department of Education on this. Please email education@yfned.ca or call 867-667-6962 for further support in this area.
In 2016, B.C. introduced restrictions around the use of Evergreen Certificates so that they can only be issued to those on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), that is, students who require a modified program due to a special need that prevents them from working toward graduation. This recommendation was made by the B.C. Auditor General and at the request of the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) to address the disproportionately high number of First Nations students receiving Evergreen Certificates.
In Yukon, we also have higher numbers of Indigenous students receiving Evergreen Certificates and a gap in graduation rates between First Nations and non-First Nations students. Yukon schools are limiting Evergreen Certificates only to those students who are not capable of meeting graduation requirements.
Parents/guardians with a child on an IEP need to ensure that their child is placed on the least restrictive pathway to complete high school based on their child’s abilities. Parents should meet, at least once a year, with the teacher responsible for their child’s educational plan to discuss learning outcomes, goals and the pathway to graduation/completing school. Ideally, most students should be enrolled in and complete one of the Dogwood diplomas. A School Completion Certificate is only appropriate for students on IEPs who are not capable of meeting graduation requirements.
