Introduction
This course introduces students to the world of business. Students will develop an understanding of the functions of business, including accounting, marketing, information and communication technology, human resources, and production, and of the importance of ethics and social responsibility. This course builds a foundation for further studies in business and helps students develop the business knowledge and skills they will need in their everyday lives.
An OSSD credit course
This course has been developed based on the following Ontario Ministry of Education documents:
- Business Studies, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, 2006 (Revised)
- Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools (2010)
Curriculum Expectations
| A Business Fundamentals | |
| A1 | demonstrate an understanding of how businesses respond to needs, wants, supply, and demand; |
| A2 | compare types of businesses; |
| A3 | demonstrate an understanding of ethics and social responsibility in business; |
| A4 | demonstrate an understanding of the benefits and challenges for Canada in the field of international business. |
| B Functions of a Business | |
| B1 | explain the role of production in business; |
| B2 | explain the role of human resources in business; |
| B3 | demonstrate an understanding of sound management practices in business; |
| B4 | demonstrate an understanding of the importance and role of marketing in business; |
| B5 | demonstrate an understanding of the importance and role of accounting in business; |
| B6 | demonstrate an understanding of the importance and role of information and communication technology in business. |
| C Finance | |
| C1 | demonstrate an understanding of income and spending issues facing individuals and businesses; |
| C2 | demonstrate an understanding of how banks and other financial institutions operate; |
| C3 | demonstrate an understanding of effective investment practices; |
| C4 | analyse the role and importance of credit in personal and business finance. |
| D Entrepreneurship | |
| D1 | describe characteristics and skills associated with successful entrepreneurs and demonstrate an understanding of the contributions to Canadian business of selected entrepreneurs; |
| D2 | analyse the importance of invention and innovation in entrepreneurship. |
How you are assessed in this course
At Agile Preparatory Academy, tests and assignments are carefully crafted to promote understanding of course content and help students achieve academic success. This success translates to high grades achieved by our students, which reflect a thorough understanding of concepts covered in the course as well as meeting and exceeding curriculum expectations.
Assessment FOR / AS / OF learning
Our teachers champion the idea that the primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Our teachers monitor student progression through the course and provide reflection and feedback that guides students towards improvement. The assessment and evaluation strategies of our school follow the Ministry of Education's policies and curriculum requirements. Our teachers use the following types of assessments to improve student learning:
Assessment for learning – These assessments include practice questions which do not contribute significantly (or at all) to the final grade. These assessments give students opportunities to practice their skills and test their knowledge prior to attempting assessments that affect their final grade. It also gives students and teachers opportunities to identify gaps in understanding and discover concepts that have been misunderstood. Here, our teacher gives students descriptive feedback and coaching for improvement.
Assessment as learning – These assessments include self reflections. The purpose of these assessments is to help students develop their capacity to be independent and autonomous learners who are able to set their own goals, monitor their own progress, determine next steps, and reflect on their thinking and learning. These tasks allow students to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses and allow them to advocate for their own learning.
Assessment of learning – These assessments contribute to the final mark of the course. Our teachers ensure that these assessments are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to give multiple opportunities to our students to demonstrate the full range of their learning. It allows our teachers to judge the quality of student learning with respect to curriculum expectations and assign a percentage grade to represent that quality. These assessments are designed to be fair, transparent, and equitable for of our students.
The Final Grade
The overall grade of the course is composed of:
- 70% from course work
- 30% from final evaluation
Most of the overall grade, 70%, is based on course work done prior to the final evaluation. This portion of the grade reflects the student's most consistent level of achievement in the course, with special consideration given to more recent evidence of achievement. Here, our teachers gather evidence of learning from assignments, projects, presentations, and tests throughout the course (Assessment of Learning), giving students multiple opportunities to perform well.
The balance, only 30% of the overall grade, is gathered from final evaluations administered at the end of the course. The final assessment may be a final exam, a final project, or a combination of both an exam and a project.
The OSSD credit
A credit is granted and recorded when the final percentage mark in this course is 50 per cent or higher.
Agile Prep Academy is a high school through which a student can earn credits towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) high school diploma. We are in compliance with Ontario Ministry of Education policies, and are assessed and authorized by the Ministry to grant the OSSD diploma as well as OSSD credits.
Our courses are taught online, which allows our students to meet and exceed the online credit requirements needed for graduation. For further high school graduation requirements, including the Online learning graduation requirement, please visit the Ministry’s website.