KAWARTHA LAKES-The results of the 2021/22 Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) results for Trillium Lakelands District School Board in Grade 3 and 6 students highlighted some improvement and areas for growth.
The results show an increase in four of the six areas from previous test years according to the board. Specifically, a three per cent increase in Grade 3 reading and mathematics, a two per cent increase in Grade 6 writing, and a two per cent increase in Grade 6 reading. The Board continues to place emphasis in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics with a strong focus on early interventions in literacy at the elementary level. “Resources, professional development, and explicit instruction is a Board-wide focus as we better our understanding of student needs and close performance gaps in reading,” says superintendent of learning, Jay MacJanet.
The EQAO tests are a way to measure student progress against a provincial standard of educational achievements. The results are meant to also show what needs improvement in the public education system, and holds boards accountable for what they’re supposed to be teaching. It’s the first years since the pandemic that assessments could take place.
According to the latest assessment, the majority of Ontario students in the sixth grade are failing to meet the provincial math standard.
Over 600,000 elementary and secondary students from across the province completed the testing, and 47% of all Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in the subject. It’s three per cent less than how many met the standard in 2018-2019.
Fifty-nine percent of Grade 3 students met the province’s mathematical standard, while 52 per cent of Grade 9 students did, which is an over 20 per cent drop from the 75 per cent who met the standard in 2018-2019. However, EQAO notes it is also the same year when Grade 9 academic and applied results for that year were combined.
In the 2021-2022 school year, TLDSB introduced a new, de-streamed mathematics curriculum for Grades 6 and 9, and so it was the first EQAO test since this introduction. As such, TLDSB will start to see trends in student achievement from this new curriculum in the years to come.
“In the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) category, TLDSB results improved seven per cent since the last testing period,” explained superintendent of learning, Kim Williams. “Mathematics continues to be an area that we will focus on. Math teachers participated in professional learning last year and continue to be engaged in learning about how to support students with significant gaps in their foundational knowledge.”
“I am so proud of the work that TLDSB teachers, designated early childhood educators, and support staff have been doing to support student learning after nearly three school years in a pandemic,” adds director of education, Wes Hahn. “The data TLDSB received from the EQAO assessments adds yet another key piece to help us make informed decisions at both the board and school levels, and to set new targets. TLDSB is committed to furthering student development by understanding and meeting the learning needs of all students as outlined in the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan.”
