If you have children or grandchildren at school you have most likely heard of EQAO testing.
The EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) is an independent agency that creates and administers large-scale assessments to measure Ontario students’ achievement in reading, writing and math at key stages of their education. The tests are written in the following grades:
- Grade 3, Primary Division (reading, writing and math)
- Grade 6, Junior Division (reading, writing and math)
- Grade 9 Math
- Grade 10, Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
Data from EQAO is a key component in helping school board’s see the larger picture, which includes report card data, classroom assessments, along with teacher and student perceptual data. These findings are collectively used to tell us how we’re doing at the Board, school and classroom level.
Today, the Provincial and local EQAO results for all key assessment stages have been released and Avon Maitland’s staff have begun analyzing the data.
Today at Avon Maitland:
School and system leaders are meeting to analyze and interpret the results of provincial assessments from 2016-2017, and refining strategies for sustaining growth in Literacy and improving achievement in Math.
Each year data is reviewed and the resulting analysis informs decisions that drive adjustments to the Board’s improvement plan, and plot the course for professional development through staff meetings, professional learning community meetings, and professional development days. The professional development that teachers participate in is, as a result, directly based upon and responsive to demonstrated student learning needs.
Data from EQAO is a key component in the larger assessment picture, which includes report card data and classroom assessments, along with teacher and student perceptual data. These are used to inform our learning at the system, school and classroom levels. Staff analyze the data for each school and for individual students and the analysis contributes to adjustments in the Board’s improvement plan. School staff will be taking a closer look at the data on the PD day scheduled for September 29, 2017, in order to further refine their student achievement plans.
OSSLT and Grade 9 Mathematics
OSSLT (Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test)
The OSSLT is a provincial test which details how well our students have acquired skills in Reading and Writing up to the end of Grade 9. Students write the test, administered in the Spring, during their Grade 10 year. Successful completion of either the the OSSLT or the OSSLC (course) is a requirement of graduation.
76% of Avon Maitland Students were successful in the OSSLT in 2017, an increase of 2% from 2016.
Grade 9 Mathematics
The Grade 9 Assessments of Mathematics measure how well students in both Academic and Applied courses have met the expectations of the Grade 9 curricula. Assessments for students taking Academic and Applied courses are aligned with curriculum expectations for each course. The Grade 9 assessments were written each semester during class time in January and June 2017.
Our Applied Mathematics results for Grade 9 made gains this year, greatly surpassing the provincial results of 44%, with 51% of AMDSB students successfully meeting the provincial standard, a 3% improvement from 2015-16. For students taking Academic Mathematics for Grade 9, there was no change for either the provincial score this year, or the board score, with 82% of AMDSB students continuing to meet the provincial standard.
Primary and Junior Assessments
The Avon Maitland Primary and Junior EQAO results are slightly below the province. In each of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics the board scores are within 5% of the provincial results.
Our Primary students sustained gains in Reading, with 69% meeting or exceeding the provincial standard, a single percentage point drop from last year. Primary Writing scores held fast with 70% of students meeting or exceeding the provincial standard. The provincial score for primary reading is 74% and primary writing 73%.
AMDSB Junior students continue to excel in Reading, with 80% of them achieving at or above the provincial standard, marking a 1% gain from 2015-16. Junior Writing scores dropped 1% both provincially and locally, with 74% of AMDSB students meeting or exceeding the standard, compared to 75% last year.
While improvement in Mathematics remains a central goal for both the AMDSB and the province as a whole, the Avon Maitland District School Board’s achievement in Mathematics in the Junior Division shows movement in the right direction: AMDSB scores improved slightly from 46% in 2016 to 47% in 2017, while the provincial score held fast at 50% over both years.
Provincially, Primary Mathematics scores declined from 63% to 62% in 2017, while AMDSB Primary students showed a decline from 65% to 61% over the same time period. While we are still within one percentage point of the provincial scores, the decline is concerning and both Primary and Junior Mathematics will continue to be a high priority in improvement planning at the provincial, board and school levels.
For a more in-depth look at the EQAO results please visit the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) website.