Ontario Report Cards 2026–2027: What's Changing & What Parents Need to Know

Report card season is always an important time for Ontario families, but the 2026–2027 school year brings some of the most significant changes to student assessment in years. Mandatory written exams are back, attendance and participation now count toward high school grades, and elementary report cards are going back to paper. These changes affect Ontario students working toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), with specific implementation requirements outlined in provincial policy for schools and school boards. While most of the changes focus on high school students, the habits that support academic success, including consistent attendance, active participation and strong study skills, can begin developing as early as elementary school. Whether you're reviewing November progress reports or midterm marks, February report cards or June year-end results, the Teachers on Call in-home and online tutoring team is here to help families understand what's changing, what to look for and how to support their children's academic success throughout the school year.

Why Is Ontario Changing Student Assessment and Report Cards?

Announced by the Ontario Ministry of Education in September 2026, these changes are intended to strengthen academic achievement, improve consistency in how students are assessed across Ontario schools, and better prepare students for life beyond the classroom. Greater emphasis on attendance and participation is designed to reinforce the responsibility and engagement expected in the workplace, while written exams aim to prepare students for the academic demands of post-secondary education. With more than two million students attending elementary and secondary schools across Ontario, including public, Catholic, French-language and independent schools, these updates have far-reaching implications for families.

Elementary Schools: Improving Equity and Accessibility for Families

For elementary students, the return to printed report cards is intended to make it easier for parents to access and review their children's academic progress. According to a Global News report from March 2026, the Ministry of Education raised concerns that some families experienced difficulties accessing digital report cards, including password-protected documents. The change also supports greater equity and accessibility, recognizing that not all families have reliable access to computers, internet service or the technology needed to retrieve digital report cards. Reintroducing paper copies helps ensure families receive a physical record of their child's achievement, while electronic versions can remain available.

Under Ontario's updated policy for school boards, printed elementary provincial report cards are required for the winter and June reporting periods. However, fall progress reports may continue to be distributed electronically, with school boards having the option to provide printed copies as well.

High Schools: Building on Ontario's Standardized Curriculum with More Consistent Assessment Practices

Ontario already has a standardized provincial curriculum, ensuring students enrolled in equivalent courses are expected to meet the same learning expectations, regardless of which school they attend or where they live. The new 2026–2027 assessment and evaluation changes aim to build on this foundation by creating more consistent expectations for how student achievement is measured and reported across Ontario secondary schools. With clearer requirements for attendance, participation and mandatory final evaluations, the goal is to strengthen consistency in grading practices while helping students develop the responsibility, study habits and examination skills needed for post-secondary education and the workplace.

Unlike elementary schools, secondary school boards are not required to automatically distribute printed report cards. They may continue using their existing digital or paper reporting processes, with printed copies available upon request, as outlined in Ontario's Growing Success assessment and reporting policy.

Understanding Provincial Education Standards in Canada

In Canada, education is a provincial and territorial responsibility, meaning there is no single national curriculum. Each province and territory establishes its own curriculum expectations, assessment policies and reporting requirements to provide consistent educational standards across schools offering provincial curriculum programs.

For example, from coast to coast, students attending schools in Western Canada, including British Columbia and Alberta, Central Canada, including Ontario, and Atlantic Canada, including Nova Scotia, follow the curriculum established by their respective provincial education ministries.

Although individual schools and teachers may use different instructional approaches, curriculum expectations and provincial assessment requirements provide a common framework for student learning and achievement. Whether a student attends school in Oakville or Ottawa in Southern Ontario, or Sudbury or Sault Ste. Marie in Northern Ontario, the same provincial curriculum expectations apply to students enrolled in equivalent Ontario curriculum courses.

For example, a student taking Grade 10 Mathematics or Grade 10 Science in Toronto is expected to learn the same curriculum content as a student taking the equivalent course in Timmins or Thunder Bay. While teaching methods, classroom activities and learning resources may differ, academic expectations remain consistent across Ontario, regardless of where students live.

What's Staying the Same on Ontario Report Cards?

Despite these changes, many important aspects of Ontario's report cards and student assessment remain the same. Teachers will continue to evaluate students against provincial curriculum expectations, using classroom assignments, tests, projects, observations and other demonstrations of learning. Report cards will still communicate academic achievement, highlight students' strengths and identify areas for improvement.

The six learning skills and work habits—responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative and self-regulation—will also continue to be reported. Elementary students will still receive a fall progress report and two provincial report cards, while secondary students will continue to receive reports according to their school's semester or reporting schedule.

For families, report cards remain an important opportunity to celebrate progress, identify learning gaps and work with teachers to support their child's academic success.

What's New for Ontario Report Cards in 2026–2027?

According to Ontario's updated student assessment, evaluation and report card guidelines, several important changes are taking effect this school year across the province.

While elementary schools will see changes primarily to how formal report cards are delivered, high schools are introducing more significant changes to how student achievement is evaluated.

Here's what families need to know.

Elementary Schools (Grades 1–8): Understanding Progress Reports and Report Cards

What's New?

• Paper report cards: Ontario school boards must provide printed winter and June provincial report cards, although fall progress reports may still be delivered electronically.

What This Means for Families

For elementary students, the biggest change is how formal report cards are delivered, rather than how academic progress is assessed.

Fall progress reports, generally issued between October 20 and November 20, provide an early picture of how children are adjusting to classroom expectations, developing foundational skills and progressing in their learning.

Instead of traditional grades, teachers use three progress indicators:

• Progressing Very Well
• Progressing Well
• Progressing With Difficulty

Winter provincial report cards, issued between January 20 and February 20, and June report cards provide more detailed evaluations of student achievement. Students in Grades 1–6 receive letter grades, while students in Grades 7–8 receive percentage marks. Exact reporting dates are determined by individual school boards.

Families should also pay close attention to the six learning skills and work habits: responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative and self-regulation.

While the new attendance and participation grading requirements and mandatory written exams apply to high school students, elementary school provides an important opportunity to develop the learning habits and confidence students will need in later grades.

Five Tips for Elementary Families

1. Use report cards to identify learning gaps early. Review teacher comments, progress indicators and grades to identify areas requiring attention. Strengthening foundational skills in mathematics, reading and writing can help students prepare for more demanding coursework in later grades.
2. Develop strong attendance habits early. Although the new attendance and participation grading requirements apply to high school students, elementary school is an ideal time to establish consistent attendance, punctuality and active classroom engagement.
3. Introduce children to exam-style experiences. With written examinations becoming more prominent in high school, elementary students can benefit from age-appropriate opportunities to practise solving problems independently and working within time limits. Mathematics competitions, such as the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest and the University of Waterloo's Gauss Mathematics Contests for students in Grades 7 and 8, offer optional, recreational opportunities for students to challenge themselves in mathematics. These contests are not mandatory school assessments, but they offer opportunities to develop mathematical reasoning, problem-solving skills and confidence in a structured assessment environment.
4. Strengthen learning skills and independence. Pay attention to teacher feedback on organization, responsibility, independent work and self-regulation. These skills will become increasingly important as students transition to high school and prepare for formal examinations.
5. Encourage a positive approach to assessments. Help children view quizzes, tests and competitions as opportunities to demonstrate learning rather than sources of pressure. Celebrate preparation, persistence and improvement, not simply the final result.

Family Takeaway: While elementary assessment practices are largely unchanged, families can use these years to establish the learning habits, confidence and familiarity with formal assessments that will help children succeed under Ontario's new high school requirements.

High Schools (Grades 9–12): Understanding the New Grading System

Ontario high school students will experience more significant changes to how their final course marks are calculated. As reported by CityNews, the changes introduce mandatory written exams and make attendance and participation part of students' grades.

What's New?

• Mandatory written final exams: Most high school courses now require written final examinations during designated examination periods. Depending on the subject, final evaluations may also include culminating projects, performances or presentations.
• Attendance and participation count toward grades: These now represent 15% of final marks in Grades 9 and 10 and 10% in Grades 11 and 12. Excused absences do not negatively affect students' attendance marks.
• New grading weights: Classroom work accounts for 65% of final grades in all four grades. Final evaluations account for 20% in Grades 9 and 10 and 25% in Grades 11 and 12, with the remaining 15% and 10%, respectively, allocated to attendance and participation.
• Grade 9 EQAO mathematics assessment: The provincial assessment now counts for 20% of the final Grade 9 Mathematics (MTH1W) mark, serving as the mandatory written final examination for that course. Unlike other written final examinations, EQAO takes place during its designated provincial assessment window.
• New financial literacy graduation requirement: As reported by CityNews, students who entered Grade 9 in September 2025 or later generally must complete a financial literacy assessment through Grade 10 Career Studies. Students must achieve at least 70% to satisfy the graduation requirement, and the assessment accounts for 5% of their final Career Studies mark. Students normally have two attempts during the course, with additional options available if needed. Certain exemptions apply.

Which Ontario High School Courses Are Exempt from Mandatory Written Exams?

While most Ontario high school courses now require written final exams, the Ministry of Education has identified several exemptions for the 2026–2027 school year.

Courses exempt from mandatory written exams include:

• Grades 9 and 10 Locally Developed Compulsory Credit courses (LDCC)
• Grades 11 and 12 Workplace Preparation courses (E courses)
• Grades 11 and 12 Open courses (O courses): For example, Healthy Active Living Education (Physical Education), offered as PPL3O in Grade 11 and PPL4O in Grade 12. Open courses are designed for students with a range of interests and are not tied to a specific university, college or workplace pathway.

Exempt subject areas include:

• Guidance and Career Education, except Grade 10 Career Studies (GLC2O), which has a separate final evaluation requirement
• Co-operative Education
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• American Sign Language as a Second Language

What Does This Mean for Students?

Although these courses are exempt from mandatory written exams, students must still complete final evaluations worth 20% of their final grades in Grades 9 and 10 or 25% in Grades 11 and 12. Depending on the subject, these may include projects, presentations, portfolios or other culminating assessments.

Some courses also require a combination of a written exam and a culminating task, rather than a written exam alone. The specific weighting depends on the grade and subject. Grade 10 Career Studies has a distinct structure, with 5% allocated to the financial literacy graduation requirement and 15% to a culminating task for students completing the requirement as part of the course.

Families are encouraged to review course outlines to confirm which subjects require written exams, culminating assignments or both. Understanding these expectations early in the school year can help students plan ahead for upcoming assessment and examination periods.

For the complete subject-by-subject requirements, visit the Ontario Ministry of Education's Growing Success assessment and evaluation policy.

What This Means for Families

The new grading system places greater emphasis on consistent academic performance, attendance, classroom engagement and preparation for final examinations.

Under the updated assessment framework, final marks are calculated using the following weightings:

Component

Classroom work

Final evaluations

Attendance and participation

Grades 9–10

65%

20%

15%

Grades 11–12

65%

25%

10%

For students attending semestered schools, midterm report cards provide an indication of academic performance at that point in the semester. However, these marks reflect achievement to date and may not yet include final evaluations or examinations scheduled for later in the term. Students attending non-semestered schools receive report cards three times per year, according to their school's reporting schedule.

A student's midterm mark is not necessarily their final outcome. There is still time to improve understanding, strengthen study habits and prepare for upcoming assessments.

Attendance and participation also carry greater weight under the new framework. Students are expected to attend classes consistently and engage meaningfully in learning activities. Excused absences do not negatively affect their marks, while unexcused absences and participation are evaluated according to the Ministry's published criteria.

For Grade 9 mathematics students, the increased EQAO weighting makes preparation for the provincial assessment especially important. Meanwhile, the financial literacy requirement introduces another practical learning milestone for eligible Grade 10 students.

Together, these changes reinforce the importance of developing strong study habits, organization, time management and test-taking skills throughout high school. Building these skills early can help students approach examinations with greater confidence while preparing them for the academic expectations of post-secondary education.

Five Tips for High School Families

1. Make attendance and participation a priority. With attendance and classroom participation now representing 15% of final marks in Grades 9–10 and 10% in Grades 11–12, encourage students to attend regularly, arrive prepared, ask questions and engage actively in classroom discussions. Families should also understand how schools account for excused absences. These generally include absences for legitimate reasons such as illness, medical appointments, religious observances or family emergencies, when reported and authorized according to school policies. Parents should ensure all legitimate absences are promptly reported to the school and correctly recorded as excused so they do not negatively affect attendance marks.
2. Use report card results to understand grading weights and create a study plan. Review how classroom work, final evaluations and attendance and participation contribute to final marks. Identify subjects where your teen needs additional support and develop a realistic study schedule. Students taking senior mathematics, science or specialized AP and IB courses may benefit from targeted review of challenging concepts before final assessments.
3. Prepare strategically for Grade 9 EQAO mathematics. With the provincial assessment now accounting for 20% of the final Grade 9 mathematics mark, encourage regular practice with curriculum-based questions, mathematical reasoning and problem-solving. Families can also explore mathematics competitions and enrichment opportunities to strengthen these skills.
4. Build financial literacy through everyday experiences. For students subject to the new Grade 10 financial literacy graduation requirement, encourage practical conversations about budgeting, saving, interest rates and responsible spending. Connecting classroom concepts to real-life financial decisions can make learning more meaningful.
5. Develop consistent exam preparation habits. With mandatory written examinations returning to most high school courses, students should develop regular review habits well before their final assessments. Encourage practice tests, timed exercises and self-testing to build familiarity with exam conditions and reduce last-minute stress. Personalized in-home and online tutoring can provide additional support by helping students review challenging concepts, practise exam-style questions and develop effective study strategies tailored to their individual learning needs.

Family Takeaway: The new high school requirements make consistent attendance, classroom engagement and exam preparation increasingly important. Rather than waiting until final examinations approach, families can use report card results throughout the school year to develop strategies that support academic success.

How Families Can Prepare: Building Study Habits and Test-Taking Skills

With mandatory written examinations returning to most Ontario high school courses, developing strong study habits and test-taking skills is more important than ever. Students need more than an understanding of the curriculum. They also need to know how to prepare effectively, manage their time, interpret questions and demonstrate their knowledge under exam conditions.

Report cards and teacher feedback provide an opportunity for families to identify academic strengths, recognize areas requiring improvement and establish realistic learning goals. Whether reviewing a fall progress report, a winter report card or year-end results in June, families can use this information to develop a plan for continued academic growth.

For elementary students, preparation can begin with age-appropriate quizzes, classroom assessments and enrichment opportunities such as mathematics competitions. These experiences help children become comfortable working independently, solving problems within time limits and developing the confidence to tackle unfamiliar questions. Families can also reinforce foundational reading, writing and mathematics skills while encouraging organization, responsibility and consistent learning routines.

For high school students, regular practice with exam-style questions, timed assessments and effective study strategies can make a meaningful difference. Students should also treat classroom tests as valuable opportunities to prepare for final exams, using teacher feedback and test results to identify areas for improvement, strengthen their understanding and build confidence under assessment conditions. Learning how to organize written responses, show mathematical reasoning and manage exam-related stress can help students demonstrate their knowledge more effectively. Reviewing course outlines, identifying upcoming evaluations and creating a study schedule are practical steps students can take throughout the school year.

Personalized online and in-home tutoring can play an important role in developing these skills. At Teachers on Call, experienced educators, including Ontario Certified Teachers (OCT), provide one-on-one support tailored to each student's academic needs, learning style and goals. Beyond reinforcing curriculum concepts, tutors can help students identify areas for improvement, practise exam-style questions, strengthen study habits and develop effective time management strategies.

With online and in-home tutoring available for students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12, including specialized support for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, Teachers on Call supports students at every stage of their academic journey, from building foundational skills in elementary school to preparing for more demanding high school assessments.

As Ontario places greater emphasis on formal examinations, knowing how to demonstrate learning under test conditions is becoming increasingly important. Developing these skills early can help students approach assessments with greater confidence and prepare for future academic challenges.

Looking Ahead: Making the Most of Report Card Season

Ontario's 2026–2027 assessment changes place renewed attention on academic achievement, attendance, participation and preparation for final evaluations. For families, understanding these expectations is an important first step, but knowing how to respond to report card feedback is just as important.

While elementary students have time to build the foundational skills and learning habits that will support future success, high school students must adapt to new grading requirements that place greater emphasis on classroom engagement and formal assessments. At every grade level, early intervention, consistent encouragement and personalized academic support can make a meaningful difference.

Report cards are a checkpoint, not a finish line. Whether it's November, February or June, each reporting period offers an opportunity to recognize achievements, address learning gaps and set new goals. With encouragement, clear goals and the right academic support, families can turn report card feedback into meaningful action, helping students build confidence, strengthen their skills and prepare for continued academic success.