EQAO CEO Bruce Rodrigues named Deputy Minister of Education

TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2016 /CNW/ -

NEWS

Bruce Rodrigues, Chief Executive Officer of the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has been appointed Ontario's Deputy Minister of Education. He will remain with the provincial agency until the middle of October before taking on his new role with the Ministry of Education.

QUICK FACTS

• Bruce Rodrigues was named Chief Executive Officer of EQAO in May 2013. During his tenure with the agency, he led the establishment of a new strategic plan for the organization and has overseen its efforts to modernize all aspects of the provincial assessment program. Notably, the agency prepares to offer Ontario's first, online province-wide assessment this fall.

• Before joining EQAO, Bruce held numerous senior leadership portfolios in Ontario's publicly-funded education system, including Director of Education of the Toronto Catholic District School Board and Associate Director of Education of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.

• Bruce previously served as Superintendent of Schools of the Waterloo Catholic DSB as well as holding roles in secondary school administration, as a math teacher and as program head.

• Bruce has held the positions of President and Vice-President of the Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers' Association and has participated on numerous Ministry of Education committees.

• Bruce's outstanding track record in Ontario's publicly-funded education system reflects his deep devotion to student success that has been the hallmark of his career.

QUOTES

"Bruce has been a transformational and inspirational leader throughout his time at EQAO. He has expanded the reach and collaboration of this agency with Ontario's school boards and has always led with the best interests of students at heart. Although we're sad to lose him, we are delighted that that this champion of student achievement and well-being will take over such an influential portfolio in Ontario's education system."

—Dave Cooke, Chair of the Board of Directors, EQAO

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About EQAO

EQAO 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. All EQAO assessments are developed by Ontario educators to align with The Ontario Curriculum. The assessments evaluate student achievement objectively and in relation to a common provincial standard. EQAO is undertaking a multi-year project to move the provincial assessments online.

EQAO provides results to each student who writes an assessment. Its personalized reports help support individual student learning. The agency provides schools and school boards with detailed reports about their students' achievement, as well as contextual, attitudinal and behavioural information from questionnaires, in an interactive online reporting tool. These data are used to improve school programming and classroom instruction. EQAO also reports the results of the provincial assessments publicly. This helps keep the public education system accountable to taxpayers.

EQAO is committed to building capacity for the use of data through articles, workshops, school stories and programs like the Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement. EQAO has an active research program that investigates factors that influence student achievement, school effectiveness and best assessment practices.

EQAO coordinates Ontario's participation in national and international assessments.

SOURCE Education Quality and Accountability Office

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