EQAO Results: Step Forward in Grand Erie’s New Direction

New Multi-Year Plan aligns resources to support Success for Every Student

Achievement results of the Primary (grades 1-3) and Junior (grades 4-6) assessments of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics as well as the results of the Grade 9 assessments of Applied and Academic Mathematics and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) administered by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) are now available.

“EQAO data is one of many measurements that assess a snap shot of achievement in a given year,” said Brenda Blancher, Director of Education. “As we begin a new direction in Grand Erie, with a renewed focus on student achievement, we’re using this data to plan forward and create a culture of high expectations.”

In most categories of student achievement, EQAO results in Grand Erie mirror the provincial trends. The following percentages reflect students who participated in the EQAO assessment.

Primary: Grand Erie experienced a two percent increase in Reading from the previous assessment, resulting in 63 percent of students at or above the provincial standard. However, results in Writing and Mathematics fell, including a four percent drop in Writing, from 68 to 64 percent, and six percent in Mathematics, from 57 to 51 percent. Due to job action in 2015, EQAO assessments were not administered.

Junior: Results in the Grade 6 assessments show an increase in Reading and Writing and a decrease in Mathematics. Students achieving at or above the provincial standard experienced a one percent increase in reading from 73 in 2014 to 74 percent, a two percent increase in Writing from 68 to 70 percent and a four percent decrease in Mathematics from 43 to 39 percent.

Grade 9: At the Grade 9 level, results in Mathematics show improvement over last year’s results in Applied from 47 to 50 percent and a slight percentage dip in Academic from 78 to 77 percent. Grand Erie surpassed the provincial results in Applied Mathematics and experienced an upward trend as the province went down.

OSSLT: There were 1,710 first-time eligible writers who participated on the literacy test in 2016. Results for this cohort were down two percent from 72 to 70 percent. Assistance to schools will continue using the Literacy Support Plan.

“These results position us well to monitor, measure and reflect on our outcomes,” said Linda De Vos, Superintendent of Education responsible for elementary program. “We’re moving forward with plans to increase staff understanding of effective instruction and assessment in literacy and numeracy, in addition to increase student understanding of effective learning strategies and how to use them.”

A renewed focus on Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 12, is being implemented in 2016-17, which will deepen the emphasis on instruction in this subject area.