EQAO Profiles Three Schools in South Western Ontario for Improving Student Achievement

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2014 /CNW/ - The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board's Annunciation of Our Lord Catholic Elementary School (Hamilton), Avon Maitland District School Board's Goderich Public School (Goderich), and Waterloo Region District School Board's Edna Staebler Elementary School (Waterloo) are being profiled in the Education Quality and Accountability Office's (EQAO's) Provincial Elementary School Report, released today, for its committed efforts and success improving student achievement.

Fourteen elementary schools across the province are being profiled this year. Each has been identified because of the notable improvement in its EQAO results over time. Each school team has shared how EQAO and other data have been used to guide instructional programs, which in turn have helped improve the literacy and numeracy skills of students.

QUOTES

"[Teachers] are the backbone of the school. They are dedicated not only in student learning but in spiritual and social development. As a unit they worked hard to create a school community that feels like a family. The strong relationship developed with the parish team also helps to nourish each member of the school community. At this school, we learn, love, laugh and live together as a vibrant, positive, accepting and spiritual community."
— Josie Pini, Principal, Annunciation of Our Lord Catholic Elementary School

"EQAO provides the timetable. It is the structure of the timeline. It lets you see the continuum in which each child's needs must be met."
— Debra Gill, Principal, Goderich Public School

"We use data from a wide variety of sources to inform our decisions... We also have a staff that is eager to learn and try new ways of meeting their student needs."
— Jeffery Parliament, Principal, Edna Staebler Elementary School

"The schools being profiled demonstrate significant progress in supporting student achievement. They have used EQAO data, alongside in-school evidence, in planning improvements to their programs and teaching practices. These particular schools are seeing positive results in student achievement as a result of their efforts. I trust that these stories will serve as an inspiration to other school communities across the province."
— Bruce Rodrigues, Chief Executive Officer, EQAO

LEARN MORE

Visit www.eqao.com for the following:

EQAO School and School Board Profiles and Reports

Infographic: EQAO Provincial Assessments 2014

About EQAO

EQAO's assessments measure student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to Ontario Curriculum expectations. The resulting data provide accountability and a gauge of quality in Ontario's publicly funded education system. By providing this important evidence about learning, EQAO acts as a catalyst for increasing the success of Ontario students.

The objective and reliable results from EQAO's assessments complement the information obtained from classroom and other assessments to provide students, parents, teachers and administrators with a clear and comprehensive picture of student achievement and a basis for targeted improvement planning at the individual, school, school board and provincial levels. EQAO helps build capacity for the appropriate use of data by providing resources that educators, parents, policy-makers and others in the education community can use to improve learning and teaching. EQAO distributes an individual report to each student who writes an assessment, and posts school, school board and provincial results on its Web site.

Les résultats des écoles de langue française sont disponibles en français.

SOURCE: Education Quality and Accountability Office

For further information and to arrange interviews, please contact Angele Dufresne, Communications Officer, 416-212-7047, [email protected]