Basic Skills Certificate - B (BSCB) Program

The Basic Skills Certificate-B (BSCB) Program supports students to achieve their educational and personal development goals. This program is for students who wish to develop academic and independent living skills. Program content includes courses which focus on literacy and math skills, interpersonal and self-management skills, creativity and self-expression, workplace awareness, and skills for increasing independence. Students will have a maximum of four years to complete the program (under special circumstances and with permission of the Dean this maximum may increase).

Courses are scheduled from Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Admission Requirements

Age Requirement: Applicants must be at least 19 years of age, or be at least 18 years of age and have been out of the public school system for at least 12 months, or have a school-leaving certificate. Any applicant not meeting the age requirements must be recommended for admission by a secondary school principal or counselor and be interviewed by the ASE Admissions Committee. The recommendation and interview information of the underage applicant will be referred to the Dean. The applicant will be admitted only if approved by the Dean and space is available. In cases of underage admission, continued registration and attendance is dependent on the achievement of specific educational and behavioural standards outlined in an individual performance contract.

General Requirements: All students must participate in an intake interview with the ASE Admissions Committee.

All students must:

Complete a Level Two reading assessment with 90% or better in accuracy and 75% or better in comprehension. To enter directly into Level Three courses students must complete the Level Three reading assessment (Intermediate One Reading Tasks) with 90% or better in accuracy and 75% or better in comprehension.

• Demonstrate the ability to learn and participate in a group setting
• Demonstrate emotional stability - have no behavioural or emotional problems that would significantly interfere with the learning or safety of self or others
• Demonstrate a commitment to learning
• Demonstrate an identified cognitive disability

Eligibility for admission will be based on evidence of the above requirements being demonstrated in the assessment interview and must include at least two of the following (students must provide documentation at their own effort and expense):

• Psycho-educational assessment
• Records of previous participation in special or supported programs in a public institution or school (ex: IEP or school transcript)
• Documentation of disability from a physician or medical specialist
• Referral from Community Living BC (CLBC)
• Recommendation from an instructor in the Okanagan College Adult Upgrading Department, another college, or high school
• Referral from a community agency

Special Circumstances: Students who lack appropriate documentation may be admitted conditionally on the recommendation of the instructor with the approval of the Department Chair. In cases of conditional admission, continued registration and attendance is dependent on the achievement of specific educational and behavioural standards outlined in an individual performance contract.

A student who is non-verbal or multi-disabled and requires special accommodations can only be accepted into the program when those specific accommodation needs have been addressed and met. The student may be required to attend with a qualified support person who will be required to participate in a learning contract.

Program Outline

Students are required to complete 10 core courses and 2 electives (12 courses in total). Courses within the BSCB Program are not in a required sequence. Courses will be offered in a variety of combinations and a variety of lengths at each centre. Eligible students will be able to enter at the beginning of any semester if space is available. ASE courses are skills based and adjusted to meet individual student need. Course work begins at each student’s level of competency. Skills aimed at and achieved will vary according to the needs, goals, and abilities of the students. To continue skills development, and to complete the BSCB program, students are required to take core courses more than once.

Students may attend full-time (three courses per semester) or part-time in order to accommodate the needs of students for whom part-time participation is most appropriate. Individual, stand-alone courses will still be available. Students will have a maximum of four years to complete the program (except under special circumstances,upon recommendation of the department and with permission of the Dean).

Special Circumstances: Under special circumstances students will be allowed to take longer than four years to complete their program.
Circumstances may include:

• Lengthy illness - supported by medicaldocumentation
• Disability-related barriers (mobility/strength/ability to sustain work focus) which necessitate a slower pace
• Lack of necessary disability-related support(Individualized Support Worker and/or equipment)which causes a break in attendance
• Lack of available courses at the centre

BSCB students must complete:(courses are taken more than once)

• Three semesters of LSIN 011B Literacy - English 2 and/orLSIN 013 Literacy - English 3. One Literacy course may be replaced byLSIN 016 Writing Your Life
• Four semesters of LSIN 010A Numeracy - Mathematics 1 or LSIN011A Numeracy - Mathematics 2. Up to two semesters of Mathematics may bereplaced by two semesters of LSIN 034 Banking and Budgeting
• Two semesters of LSIN 020 Human Relations
• One semester of LSIN 018 Literacy-Workplace Awareness 2 or LSIN 019 Literacy-Workplace Awareness 3

The remaining two courses will be Electives offered from the following list:

• LSIN 012 Basic Computer Skills
• LSIN 015 Express Yourself
• LSIN 016 Writing Your LIfe
• LSIN 022 Rights and Responsibilities
• LSIN 023 Health and Safety
• LSIN 027 Social Communication
• LSIN 029 Consumer Awareness
• LSIN 030 Cooking
• LSIN 034 Banking and Budgeting
• LSIN 036 General Science
• LSIN 037 History of People with Disabilities in BC

LSIN 016 Writing Your Life and LSIN 034 Banking and Budgeting may be counted more than once as Electives.

Optional Electives:

Students may choose to take up to four additional optional electives with permission of the department if:

• There is space. Priority will be given tostudents who require the course to completetheir program.
• The course content is appropriate for the student at this stage of their learning.
• The course load is reasonable for this student given their circumstances and disability/abilities and will not cause overload /burnout.
• Addition of this course does not make contact hours exceed 24 hours per week.

Graduation Requirements

Completion of 10 core courses and 2 elective courses (12 courses in total). Courses must be completed within a maximum of four years unless there are special circumstances, upon recommendation of the department and approval of the Dean. Students must achieve a minimum passing grade of 50% in each course with an overall average of 70%. Graduating or past PACE students may use the following 6 LSPM courses as replacements for the following 6 BSCB courses where up to 2 BSCB courses are still required to graduate from the BSCB Program.