The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released its new graduation requirements for the renewed Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 (JK-12) curriculum.

As the Northwest Territories (NWT) works toward transitioning to British Columbia’s competency-driven model of learning, the new graduation requirements will be similar to British Columbia’s,  with small but deliberate differences, such as the inclusion of made-in-the-NWT courses like Northern Studies. The NWT will be moving from a 5-credit to 4-credit system and the new requirements  will have a greater focus on career education than the current requirements.

There will also be changes to large-scale assessment tools. When these requirements take effect, rather than writing diploma exams for specific subjects (e.g. English Language Arts, math, chemistry, etc.), students will only write literacy and numeracy assessments. Students’ marks on these assessments will not count toward their final grades, as the tests are not linked to specific courses. Rather, students’ marks will be an indicator of their overall numeracy and literacy skills and will appear on their high school transcripts.

The NWT’s new graduation requirements will take effect when the draft curriculum is implemented for Grade 10 students in the 2024-25 school year. From that point on, all Grade 10 students will use the new graduation requirements. Anyone in Grade 11 or 12 in the 2024-25 school year will continue to use the graduation requirements that were set when they started high school.

For a full breakdown of the upcoming changes in course credits and assessment tools, please see this detailed spreadsheet and FAQ.

Updating graduation requirements is the second of five key areas that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) has completed in its work toward implementing the new curriculum in NWT schools. It will take several years to transition to the new competency-driven model of learning.

For more information on curriculum renewal, please visit the ECE website, which includes a full timeline for implementing the new curriculum, and this detailed FAQ.

Quote(s)

“A good education is the foundation for success in life, so our government is taking steps to make sure that students in every NWT community get the education they deserve and need. These new graduation requirements mark another step towards our education’s system’s transition to British Columbia’s redesigned and student centred JK-12 curriculum, and towards our mandate commitment to increase student education outcomes to the same level as the rest of Canada.”
- R.J. Simpson, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment

Quick facts

• There are five key areas that the GNWT is focused on to effectively implement BC’s curriculum in NWT schools:

1. Finalizing the timeline and sequence for adapting the curriculum and implementing it in NWT schools.
2. Determining the minimum Grade 12 graduation requirements for students using BC courses.
3. Adapting BC’s curriculum so it meets the contextual needs of NWT students and communities.
4. Updating student assessment programs (i.e., standardized tests and diploma exams) with BC’s large-scale assessment tools.
5. Developing a schedule and structure for training teachers on the new curriculum.

• Indigenous worldviews, knowledge, and perspectives are reflected in all BC’s curricula and in mandatory learning for all students. BC’s curriculum is flexible, which allows the NWT to adapt the curriculum at the territory and local levels, by incorporating place, school and community ways of learning and doing.
• NWT-created curriculum, such as Our Languages, Northern Studies, Health and Wellness, Hunter Education and Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten, will remain in schools. Dene Kede and Inuuqatigiit, foundational curricula that weave Dene and Inuit core concepts, language and traditions into learning in NWT classrooms, will also remain in schools.

Related links

• JK-12 Curriculum Renewal
• NWT JK-12 Curriculum Renewal Timeline
• JK-12 Curriculum Renewal fact sheet

For media requests, please contact:

Briony Grabke
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Education, Culture and Employment
Government of the Northwest Territories 
Briony_grabke@gov.nt.ca 

867-767-9352 ext. 71073