Sudbury boards fall short of provincial average

The results are in, and school boards in Sudbury have settled below the provincial average in an assessment of reading, writing and mathematics by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO).

Over the past five years, there has been an increase across the province in the proportion of students who improved to meet the provincial standard in Grade 6 after not having met it in Grade 3, according to a news release. The same kind of progress has not, however, been seen in mathematics, where the proportion of students improving to meet the standard in Grade 6 has actually decreased.

This year’s assessment results were very similar and, when viewed at the provincial level, show steady improvement in literacy, though not in elementary mathematics.

“By providing detailed information on the achievement of every student in a publicly funded school, EQAO results not only help create strong, local accountability for student success, but also encourage dialogue between teachers and parents,” said Marguerite Jackson, EQAO’s CEO.

Whether school boards agree with the results, the information can be used to encourage school communities to have meaningful discussions about achievement, and they compel action to improve the outcomes of all of their students, Jackson said.

“(EQAO) data is used to inform classroom instruction and to know the student. Data is reviewed on an ongoing basis and is part of our daily life at school,” said Carmela Pitman, principal at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s St. Andrew Catholic School. “It allows us to identify the trends throughout our school and helps us focus on various points in the curriculum. But, most importantly, data allows us to put a plan in place and shows us how to action it for improved student achievement.”

Grade 6 students at St. Andrew posted scores well above the provincial average, although no results are available for Grade 3 students.

Across the province, 75 per cent of English-language students achieved at or about of the provincial standard in reading, 74 per cent of students achieved at or above the provincial standard in writing, and 58 per cent of students achieved at or about the provincial standard in math.

St. Andrew students posted test scores well above the benchmark in all three categories. In reading, 87 per cent of St. Andrew students achieved this level; in writing, 93 per cent of students achieved this level; while in math, 80 per cent of student achieved this level.

While it varies from school to school, overall, Sudbury Catholic District School Board fell short of the provincial average in just about every category.

Grade 6 students board-wide posted a 76-per-cent achievement rate for reading, a 71-per-cent achievement rate for writing and a 55-per-cent achievement rate for math.

Grade 3 students, meanwhile, posted a 65-per-cent achievement rate for reading, a 76-per-cent achievement rate for writing, and a 67-per cent achievement rate for math.

The provincial average for Grade 3 students in the province is 66 per cent for reading, 76 per cent for writing and 68 per cent for math.

Rainbow District School Board results painted a fairly similar picture.

In Grade 3, 60 per cent of students achieved at or above the provincial standard in reading, 69 per cent achieved at or above the provincial standard in writing, and 60 per cent achieved at or above the provincial average in math.

In Grade 6, 68 per cent of students achieved at or above the provincial standard in reading, 64 per cent achieved at or above the provincial standard in writing, and 52 per cent achieved at or above the provincial standard in math.

“Rainbow District School Board’s scores over the past five years continue to follow the provincial trend,” said Director of Education Norm Blaseg in a press release. “In particular, we have made notable gains in writing at the primary and junior levels. We will continue to use EQAO data to identify areas for continuous improvement.”

EQAO results provide a measure of how well students understand the expectations outlined in the Ontario curriculum, he said. Student assessment is most effective when data is interpreted in context, examined over time to determine trends in performance, and used to inform professional dialogue and school improvement planning.

“Assessment results are used to enhance student learning. The data helps us determine areas of focus in literacy and numeracy for school and board improvement planning by answering two important questions: How are we doing, and What can we do next to improve student learning? As always, we will build on our efforts.”

As for French-language school boards, across Ontario, 75 per cent of Grade 3 students achieved at least the provincial standard in reading, 83 per cent achieved at least the provincial standard in writing and 75 per cent achieved at least the provincial standard in math.

French Grade 6 students posted better scores with 86 per cent of students at least at the provincial standard in reading, 85 per cent at least at the provincial standard in writing and 82 per cent at least at the provincial standard in math.

For Grade 3 students of Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario, 64 per cent of them achieved at least the provincial standard in reading, 85 per cent of them achieved at least the provincial standard in writing and 73 per cent of them achieved at least the provincial standard in math.

For Grade 6 students, 82 per cent of them achieved at least the provincial standard in reading, 86 per cent of the achieved at least the provincial standard in writing, and 72 per cent of them achieved at least the provincial standard in math.

For Grade 3 students of Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Nouvel-Ontario, 73 per cent achieved at least the provincial standard in reading, 85 per cent achieved at least the provincial standard in writing and 78 per cent achieved at least the provincial standard in math.

For Grade 6 students, 83 per cent achieved at least the provincial standard in reading, 78 per cent achieved at least the provincial standard in writing and 82 per cent achieved at least the provincial standard in math.

Results are also available for Grade 9 students. Visit www.eqao.com for more results.