Catholic and public faculty board outcomes present common passing charge on provincial testing between 1 and 15 proportion factors decrease than Ontario outcomes
Outcomes from the provincial studying, writing, and math assessments put Simcoe County college students general beneath Ontario averages.
One Simcoe County trustee was notably annoyed to see every of the Simcoe County District Faculty Board’s general outcomes from one to fifteen proportion factors beneath provincial averages.
“I think we’ve failed our students in our math education capabilities,” mentioned Robin Talbot, the trustee for Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny, and Tay Township throughout an Oct. 9 faculty board assembly. “I’m trying to develop a positive attitude about our approach but I don’t see a lot in the results.”
The province is liable for creating and administering studying, writing, and math assessments for Ontario college students in Grades 3, 6, and 9, in addition to the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary Faculty Literacy Take a look at (OSSLT).
Averages are reported as the share of scholars that met or exceeded the provincial customary for the take a look at.
The outcomes, launched final week, of the 2023/24 Schooling High quality and Accountability Workplace (EQAO) for the province and two native faculty boards have been as follows:
Take a look at
Ontario common
Simcoe County District Faculty board avg.
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District Faculty Board avg.
Grade 3 Studying
71%
68%
66% met or exceeded the provincial customary for the take a look at
Grade 3 Writing
64%
58%
57% met or exceeded the provincial customary for the take a look at
Grade 3
Math
61%
60%
51% met or exceeded the provincial customary for the take a look at
Grade 6 Studying
82%
77%
79% met or exceeded the provincial customary for the take a look at
Grade 6 Writing
80%
75%
79% met or exceeded the provincial customary for the take a look at
Grade 6 Math
50%
47%
38% met or exceeded the provincial customary for the take a look at
Grade 9 Math
54%
46%
39% met or exceeded the provincial customary for the take a look at
Grade 10 Literacy Take a look at*
85%
84%
78% of first-time eligible college students who handed the take a look at
*Literacy take a look at percentages characterize the portion of scholars eligible to take the take a look at for the primary time and who handed on their first try.
When contacted for touch upon the SMCDSB’s outcomes this 12 months, Daniel Stargratt, superintendent of program companies with the Catholic board advised CollingwoodToday that regardless of among the numbers, their board is noticing enhancements.
“The important thing for families to recognize is that the real benefit of EQAO, for both students and educators, happens when we look beyond the surface results,” mentioned Stargratt in an electronic mail.
“EQAO is a snapshot in time, and there are many other assessments that we use to support our students with their achievement and well-being,” he mentioned.
He factors particularly to some numbers he discovered encouraging, such because the board’s Grade 6 literacy outcomes.
“We still have work to do to improve mathematics results in Grade 3, 6 and 9,” mentioned Stargratt.
The Catholic board’s Grade 9 math take a look at common was 15 proportion factors decrease than the provincial common.
To assist tackle the gaps throughout the Catholic board, Stargratt mentioned they’re inserting a renewed concentrate on understanding and responding to pupil wants differently.
“We are taking the time to understand what students are interested in and what their strengths are so that they can get excited and empowered in their learning,” he mentioned.
Though the general public board’s outcomes are barely beneath the provincial averages, they’ve elevated in comparison with the 2023 outcomes.
“I think there are positive results this year. I think we made some great gains in the area of math through some great initiatives our board has run,” mentioned Dean Maltby, superintendent of pupil achievement with the SCDSB in an interview, noting the board takes pleasure of their OSSLT achievement this 12 months.
The Grade 3 math scores improved by one per cent this 12 months, Grade 6 by three per cent and Grade 9 by one per cent.
Maltby pointed to work carried out by Kristen Fennell, one of many board’s superintendents who focuses on math, who has run a sequence {of professional} improvement periods referred to as Math 2 Be taught for lecturers to assist them dive deeper into math content material information and educating methods on relaying that information to college students.
The board additionally presents Math At Residence programming for households on their web site, to assist households broaden on math studying finished within the classroom. They’ve additionally offered math kits for households to take house.
“We have work to do in math. The province recognizes that there’s work to do in math. We are not alone in that,” mentioned Fennell through the board’s Oct. 9 assembly. “We have seen some improvements in the junior levels, as that’s where we’ve focused most.”
For literacy, the board additionally runs skilled improvement for lecturers, exhibiting them get college students engaged in expertise to enhance literacy abilities and put together college students higher for the OSSLT.
On the finish of debate on the SCDSB’s program assembly on Oct. 9, Fennell mentioned the board would put together a deeper dive into this 12 months’s EQAO outcomes, to be offered to trustees in November.
