Ontario Student Record (OSR) Management Policy

At Am-Can Business & Tech Institute, the management of student records strictly adheres to the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Ontario Student Record (OSR) Guideline. Protecting our students' privacy while maintaining accurate academic histories is a critical operational priority.

1. Establishment and Purpose

• The Education Act requires that the principal of a school collect information for inclusion in a record in respect of each pupil enrolled in the school.

• The principal is responsible to establish, maintain, retain, transfer, and dispose of this record.

• The OSR is the official, ongoing record of a student's educational progress through schools in Ontario.

• The information contained in the OSR is privileged for the information and use of supervisory officers, the principal, and teachers of the school strictly for the improvement of the student's instruction.

2. Components of the OSR

For every student enrolled in an OSSD credit course, an OSR will be established or updated. An OSR will consist of the following components:

• An official OSR folder in Form 1A or Form 1.

• Provincial report cards.

• An Ontario Student Transcript (OST), where applicable.

• A documentation file, where applicable (e.g., for retaining proof of age, medical plans, or custody orders).

• An office index card.

• Additional information identified as being conducive to the improvement of the instruction of the student.

3. Student and Parent Access

Transparency regarding student records is a fundamental right.

• Each student, and the parent or guardian of a student who is not an adult (under the age of eighteen), must be made aware of the purpose and content of the OSR at the time of enrollment.

• Students and parents of minor students have the right to have access to all of the information contained in the OSR.

• The principal or a designated staff member will supervise the examination of the OSR to assist in interpreting the contents.

4. Security and Confidentiality

• All persons specified to perform clerical functions with respect to the establishment and maintenance of the OSR must be made aware of the confidentiality provisions in the Education Act and relevant privacy legislation.

• Physical OSR files must be kept secure, typically by keeping them in locked filing cabinets or locked rooms beyond normal office hours.

• Any part of the OSR that is recorded and stored electronically must be kept in a manner that permits the printing of a clear and legible reproduction, and is subject to the same security and access requirements as the physical OSR.

5. Transfer of the OSR

• The OSR is an ongoing record and will be transferred if the student transfers to another school in Ontario.

• When a student transfers to an inspected private school, a non-inspected private school, or a federal or First Nation school in Ontario, the OSR will only be transferred if the principal receives a written request for the information from the receiving school.

• The transfer also requires a written statement indicating consent to the transfer, signed by the parent or adult student.

6. Retention and Disposal

When a student graduates or retires from Am-Can Business & Tech Institute, specific components of their record must be legally retained.

• The following components of the OSR will be retained for five years after a student retires from school: report cards, the documentation file (where applicable), and any additional information identified by the school as appropriate for retention.

• Originals or exact copies of report cards will be retained in the student's OSR folder for this five-year period.

• The office index card must be printed and remain on file in hardcopy in a secure location at the school for 55 years following a student's withdrawal, transfer, or graduation.