Kenora Catholic District School Board to Renew Efforts in Literacy Across the Curriculum
The Kenora Catholic District School Board is looking seriously at the results of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) and setting up committees to review strategies and options for making improvement in literacy in all subjects. This year, the school scored lower than the province. In previous years, the scores have been either slightly higher or at the same level as the province so the school was surprised to have an anomalous year. 72% of students were successful on the test this year.
"We do not want any students to be unable to function in the basic requirements of reading and writing and we will be looking at ways to help all students achieve excellence in these areas," says Mary Cunningham, Superintendent of Instructional Services. "We have been focusing on this but we need to increase our efforts and look for new ways to reach students who are struggling."
The test looks at reading and writing ability by asking students to complete multiple choice as well as long and short essay questions. All grade ten students across the province write the test on the same day and are expected to achieve a score of 300 to be considered successful.
"We have our staff working on two fronts. We are working with students who were not successful on this test to ensure that they have the required skills to move forward in their learning and we are implementing new strategies to enhance literacy learning across the curriculum," says Paul White, Principal of St. Thomas Aquinas High School. "It is essential to work with all students to be sure that they are literate and truly able to express their ideas."
The board is planning to have more professional development on adolescent literacy and to bring in the regional facilitator from the Ministry of Education to work with staff on ways to engage students in activities that will enhance their skills.
For More Information Please Contact
Trina Henley
Executive Assistant to the Director & Communications Officer
p: 807-468-9851
e: [email protected]