The latest Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) numbers are out, and our two main local school boards have areas of pride, as well as places where they fall below the provincial average.
The Lambton-Kent District School Board (LKDSB), however, only had one area where it met or exceeded the provincial average.
The St. Clair Catholic District School Board (SCCDSB) saw its Grade students exceed the provincial average in reading, writing and mathematics.
The numbers cool off, however, at the next level.
Grade six SCCDSB students matched the provincial average in writing, but trailed in reading and mathematics.
“Our students continue to demonstrate strong performance on these assessments for reading and writing, which is at or above the provincial average in both Grade 3 and 6,” Laura Callaghan, Superintendent of Education for elementary curriculum, said in a release. “Our teachers, principals and support staff continue to make math a priority and are working to ensure progress in this area. We appreciate their ongoing efforts.”
At the LKDSB, the grades 3 and 6 reading, writing and math scores all fall below the provincial average.
“We appreciate the ongoing commitment of our educators and administrators – not just in the grades assessed by EQAO, but at all levels – to improve academic outcomes for students in the areas of mathematics and literacy,” said Director Jim Costello. “We are proud of the progress of our students and we continue to look for ways to improve our assessment preparation and the integration of technology to enhance learning opportunities.”
EQAO has also released results for the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), with SCCDSB students topping the provincial average.
“We are pleased with the results of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, where St. Clair Catholic student performance remains solid, with both first-time eligible and previously eligible students scoring above the provincial average,” Scott Johnson, Superintendent of Education for secondary curriculum said. “Our previously eligible results are especially strong at a full 24 percentage points above the provincial average.”
LKDSB numbers for the OSSLT fell below the provincial level.
EQAO Results for Grade 9 math showed applied SCCDSB students topping the provincial average, but academic kids trailing it.
“There was a concerted focus at the secondary level to increase the achievement of students studying in the applied stream,” Johnson said. “These efforts have yielded results, with students scoring 13 percentage points above the provincial average – an improvement of 17 percentage points over the previous year.”
The LKDSB Grade 9 applied math students exceeded the provincial average. It’s academic kids, however, did not.
According to LKDSB officials, the EQAO results have remained relatively stable in the LKDSB throughout the past five years
The EQAO assessments are a reflection of the progressive learning throughout the elementary and secondary levels and they are one of several tools used by teachers and administrators to assess students.
