Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL)

Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL) is an option under the Education Act that allows alternative programming for secondary students, aged 14-17, who are chronically not attending school full time and who continue to not attend after acessing the availible supports/servies with the system and/or have circumstances which are preventing the student from attending a traditional school.

The purposes of the SAL program are as follows: to provide the necessary supports to the student, to help with personal challenges, to keep the student connected to the school, to increase the ability to access community supports/program, if necessary, to have an option to continue to earn up to two credits if appropriate, to re-engage him/her, and to facilitate the student’s participation in a practical, short-term employment experience. The goal is to reconnect students back to a full-time academic program or another alternative education program.

A non-academic SAL plan includes: no credits and evidence of engagement outside of school (i.e., medical, mental health, volunteerism, work experience, other) is required.

An academic SAL plan includes the following: a minimum of one credit and a maximum of two; non- academic SAL plan expectations are encouraged. 

If the decision is that a student would benefit from SAL, an application and SAL plan is developed in consultation with the school student success team.