Today the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) released school board results for Grades 3 and 6 assessments in reading, writing and mathematics, Grade 9 applied and academic mathematics as well as results for the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
Last spring, students across the province wrote the annual EQAO assessments. The assessments measure the skills and abilities of students in relation to the Ontario curriculum. Results track the percentage of students at or above the provincial standard (Levels 3 or 4).
Highlight of Results:
Grade 3 students at Kenora Catholic exceeded the provincial average in reading, writing and mathematics. The 2016/17 results reflect an increase in reading from 69 percent to 82 percent of students at the provincial standard. Results for writing reflect an increase from 72 percent to 79 percent and mathematics reflects an increase from 62 percent to 71 percent. The 2016/17 results represent the highest scores in the last five years.
In the junior division, the Grade 6 EQAO results reflect a decrease in reading from 75 percent to 70 percent of students at the provincial standard. Results for writing reflect a decrease from 81 percent to 67 percent and mathematics reflects a decrease from 38 percent to 31 percent.
Grade 9 mathematics show a decrease for applied level mathematics from 81 percent to 38 percent, while the academic mathematic results show an increase from 85 percent to 93 percent. The 2016/17 results in academic mathematics were 10 percent above the province and represents the highest score since 2013/14.
The Ministry of Education requires that students successfully complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test to graduate from secondary school. In 2016/17, 74 percent of St. Thomas Aquinas High School students who wrote the test for the first time were successful, which is a decrease from 78 percent in 2014/15. The OSSLT results have been consistent since 2014/15, only fluctuating +/- 6 percent or less from year to year.
Quotations:
"The Kenora Catholic District School Board has identified and prioritized junior (Grade 4 - 6) mathematics as a continued focus area for our Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement," says Paul White, Superintendent of Instructional Services. "Our teams will be working extensively with both staff and students in the junior division to enrich relationships, create conditions necessary for improved numeracy mindsets and instill confidence in problem-solving. We will also be working on a research project with faculty from Lakehead University to inform and implement strategies that will enhance student perceptions, attitudes and achievement in mathematics. We are hopeful that our renewed mathematics strategy, over the course of time, will improve EQAO results at every level."
"We know that when our staff collaborate, learn together and try new instructional approaches we see gains in student achievement. We will continue to balance student achievement with the need to build up student confidence and well-being. With our dedicated team of educators and our renewed math strategy I am confident that students will continue to receive the support they need to be successful." Phyllis Eikre, Director of Education
"We have high expectations for student achievement at the KCDSB and will continue to strive for further improvements in the coming years. The board of trustees is committed to supporting staff with consistent monitoring of strategies across our system to ensure that each student has the support they need to achieve well-being, spiritual growth and academic success." - Frank Bastone, Chair
Action:
KCDSB staff review and analyze EQAO results and individual student data to inform the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement, which is submitted to the Ministry of Education at the beginning of the school year. Administrators and teachers also analyze the results of their school data to develop a School Improvement Plan outlining strategies to improve student success.
As part of the 2017/18 Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement, the KCDSB has established organizational goals with a focus on creating customized teaching interventions, extensive support within the junior division as well as a new research partnership with Lakehead University Faculty of Education to enrich relationships and improve numeracy mindsets to increase confidence and problem-solving skills.
Other Information:
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is an independent agency whose mandate is to ensure greater accountability and help improve the quality of education. More information is available on the EQAO website at www.eqao.com
For More Information Please Contact
Trina Henley
Executive Assistant to the Director & Communications Officer
p: 807-468-9851
e: [email protected]