There is reason for encouragement in the 2017-2018 Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) results for both major local school boards.
Students in the St. Clair Catholic District School Board (SCCDSB) saw their numbers this year improve overall compared to last year.
The Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) saw that its EQAO results have remained relatively stable in the LKDSB since 2016-2017.
LKDSB reports a slight improvement in the EQAO results for Grades 3 and 6 reading compared to 2016-2017. The Grade 9 academic math results have remained consistent, however the results for Grade 9 applied math have fallen below the provincial average.
At the Grade 3 level, SCCDSB students met the provincial level for reading and writing, and were just one point off in terms of mathematics.
For Grade 6 kids, they exceeded in reading and writing, but trailed slightly in mathematics.
Grade 9 students exceeded the provincial average in applied and academic streams.
“From our classroom educators and support staff to our system literacy and numeracy specialists, I want to say a special ‘thank you’ to everyone in our system who supports student learning and achievement,” said Deb Crawford, Director of Education for the SCDSB.
At the LKDSB, senior administration will be reviewing the Grade 3 and 6 writing and mathematics results, as well as the results for Grade 9 mathematics, to understand and develop new strategies for increasing academic achievement and promoting student success.
Board officials said the LKDSB also remains focused on improving outcomes for the Grade 10 Ontario Student Secondary School Literacy Test.
In alignment with the Ministry of Education’s direction to focus on the fundamentals of math for Grades 1-8, the LKDSB officials said they continue to allocate resources and professional development opportunities to increase learning and competency in this area.
The LKDSB increased its number of math coaches in 2018-2019, from one math coach in September 2017 to seven math coaches, in order to provide schools with additional supports. As well, the LKDSB will also be hosting a Professional Activity Day on fundamental math skills this year.
“We know the EQAO assessments only provide a small snapshot of our students’ achievements. We are proud of our students’ progress and we will continue to focus on increasing academic outcomes in the areas of mathematics and literacy,” said Director of Education Jim Costello in a media release. “Moving forward, we will continue to allocate resources to support academic improvements, including reviewing our assessment preparation practices; providing professional development for staff; and focusing on fundamental math skills.”
“It is important to remember that EQAO data is just one statistical indicator of student achievement and that the assessments must be viewed in correlation to other student achievement data,” the SCCDSB’s Crawford said.
