Grand Erie’s EQAO results show progress, align with Multi-Year Plan focus

Brantford ON – The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) issued results of its Primary (Grades 1-3) and Junior (Grades 4-6) assessments in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics; Grade 9 Academic and Applied Mathematic assessments, as well as the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) for 2016-17 on Wednesday.

Grand Erie students demonstrated progress in the assessments, with improvements seen in Grade 9 Academic Mathematics – up three per cent from last year – and Junior Mathematics, up one per cent from 2015-16. Assessment results in Grade 9 Applied Mathematics, Junior Reading and Primary Reading all remained consistent with last year’s results.

“While EQAO results provide us with useful data points and information on how to improve learning, it’s just one of the many ways in which we measure student success,” said Denise Martins, Superintendent of Education, responsible for the secondary school program. “That’s why, in our Multi-Year Plan, we’re focused on increasing staff understanding of effective instruction and assessment in literacy and numeracy; and, it’s why our Multi-Year Plan features increased student understanding of effective learning strategies, and how to use them.”

Launched in 2016, Grand Erie’s five-year Multi-Year Plan focuses on creating a culture of high expectations, with the goal of success for every student.

“This year’s EQAO results indicate we’re making progress,” said Linda De Vos, Superintendent of Education, responsible for the elementary school program. “However, we still have more work to do, which is why we’re moving ahead with implementation of Year 2 of the Renewed Math Strategy, and why we remain focused on the Literacy Support Plan, and Assessment for Learning.”

In the Primary and Junior assessments, Grand Erie’s results generally aligned with provincial trends in most categories. In Grade 9 Applied Mathematics, Grand Erie students performed three per cent better than the province – 47 per cent to 44 per cent – and posted higher results than the province for the second consecutive year.

EQAO assessments of Primary and Junior Reading, Writing and Mathematics, are administered annually to measure how well students have met provincial expectations. Each assessment covers the cumulative knowledge and skills students are expected to have acquired by the end of Grade 3 and Grade 6.

The purpose of the Grade 9 assessments are to evaluate the level at which students are meeting yearly curriculum expectations in Academic or Applied Mathematics.

The OSSLT assessment determines whether a student has the literacy (reading and writing) skills required to meet the standard for understanding reading selections and communicating in a variety of writing forms expected by The Ontario Curriculum across all subjects. Students must

successfully complete the OSSLT in order to fulfill the literacy requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

For more information on EQAO results, please visit: www.eqao.com

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Contact:

Kimberly Newhouse

Manager of Communications and Community Relations

Grand Erie District School Board

349 Erie Avenue, Brantford, Ontario, N3T 5V3

Office: 519-756-6301 ext. 281147 | Cell: 519-732-8540