EQAO: Elementary school reading results continue to rise, while math results continue to fall. Half of all Grade 6 students did not meet the provincial math standard in 2016.

TORONTO, Aug. 31, 2016 /CNW/ -

NEWS

• Ontario's Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has published the 2016 provincial-level results of the primary- and junior-division Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics (written by students in Grades 3 and 6), and of the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics.
  
  
• The percentage of students in Grades 3 and 6 who met the provincial reading standard has increased steadily over the past five years. This year, 72% of Grade 3 students and 81% of Grade 6 students met the provincial reading standard, an increase of six percentage points in each grade from the results five years ago.
  
  
• The percentage of students in Grades 3 and 6 who met the provincial math standard has decreased steadily over the past five years. Half of all Grade 6 students did not meet the provincial math standard in 2016.
  
  
• There has been a drop in writing achievement for students in Grade 3 and a steady increase for those in Grade 6. For the first time, 80% of Grade 6 students met the provincial writing standard.
  
  
• After some fluctuations over the past few years, the 2016 achievement results for students in the Grade 9 academic and applied math courses are within one percentage point of those achieved by students in 2012.

QUICK FACTS

• Of Grade 3 students, 72% (85 561) met the provincial reading standard on the primary-division assessment, compared to the 66% who did in 2012.
  
  
• Of Grade 6 students, 81% (99 982) met the provincial reading standard on the junior-division assessment, compared to the 75% who did on the 2012 assessment. This is the first time over 80% of Grade 6 students have met the reading standard.
  
  
• Of Grade 3 students, 63% (79 246) met the provincial math standard, compared to the 68% who did on the 2012 assessment.
  
  
• Of Grade 6 students, 50% (61 894) met the provincial math standard, compared to the 58% who did on the 2012 assessment.
  
  
• Of Grade 3 students, 74% (88 153) met the provincial writing standard, compared to the 76% who did on the 2012 assessment. Of Grade 6 students, 80% (98 781) met the provincial writing standard, up from 74% in 2012. This is the first time 80% of Grade 6 students met the provincial writing standard.
  
  
• Of Grade 9 students enrolled in the academic math course, 83% (81 203) met the provincial math standard, compared to the 84% who did on the 2012 assessment. Of Grade 9 students enrolled in the applied math course, 45% (16 172) met the standard, compared to the 44% who did in 2012.
  
  
• Provincial-level results on EQAO's primary-division, junior-division and Grade 9 assessments were not available for the English language school system in 2015. Due to teacher federation labour disruptions, a significant proportion of schools did not participate in the provincial assessments that school year. In 2016, elementary schools in the Toronto Catholic District School Board and secondary schools in the Trillium Lakelands District School Board did not participate in the assessments due to ongoing labour issues.

QUOTES

"EQAO results show that the years of effort and attention given to improving language instruction programs in Ontario's publicly funded school system have had a significant impact on student success. That kind of system-wide mobilization has been the model for what's needed to improve student achievement in math."
—Dave Cooke, Chair of the Board of Directors, EQAO

"We're hopeful that the renewed math strategy launched by the Ministry of Education this school year will start turning these math trends around. EQAO's provincial assessments will be an important indicator of the effectiveness of that strategy in the years to come."
—Bruce Rodrigues, CEO, EQAO

LEARN MORE

Infographic—Primary-Division, Junior-Division and Grade 9 Provincial Assessments, 2016 Results

EQAO's Highlights of Provincial Results—Primary- and Junior-Division Assessments, 2016

EQAO's Highlights of Provincial Results—Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics, 2016

On September 21, EQAO will publish school and board reports for the primary- and junior division Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics and for the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics. Full provincial reports for these assessments will also be released on this date.

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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

For further information and to arrange interviews, please contact: Angele Dufresne, Communications Officer, 416-314-4327, [email protected]