ONTARIO-The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has released provincial, school- and board-level data from its 2024–2025 online provincial assessments.
Officials say EQAO data provides an independent snapshot that shows whether students are meeting curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics at key stages of their education. The results also provide additional insights into students’ attitudes and perceptions related to their learning.
More than 574 000 students across the province completed EQAO assessments at the elementary and secondary levels of the English- and French- language school systems during the 2024–2025 school year. EQAO is reporting on achievement results as well as data from student questionnaires.
The number of students meeting the provincial standard in mathematics has increased over time, but mathematics remains an area of concern according to EQAO. In addition, many more students across Ontario are close to meeting the standard. Several English- and French-language school boards across Ontario saw significant and encouraging gains in students’ mathematics achievement in 2024–2025.
The disparity in achievement between groups of interest— such as students identified with special education needs and those without such identification—persists, highlighting the importance of continued research on and analysis of effective strategies to support identified students better.
EQAO is reporting assessment data on its website through a search function along with interactive dashboards that educators, parents and guardians and the public can access to view assessment and questionnaire data at the provincial and local levels.
Assessment Data and Observations
Assessment results from the previous two school years are provided along with those from 2024–2025 to show trends in achievement and attitudes from year to year. Such analyses of results contribute to an enhanced understanding of student learning over time.
Primary Division (Grade 3)
According to the data from 2024–2025, Grade 3 student achievement results, which are given in relation to the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4), have increased in reading, writing and mathematics, relative to those from 2023–2024. The three-year trend shows that the percentage of students meeting the provincial standard has increased in reading and in mathematics and has remained the same in writing.
Percentage of Grade 3 students who met the provincial standard:
- 74% of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in reading in 2024–2025 (71% met the standard in 2023–2024, and 73% met the standard in 2022–2023).
- 65% of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in writing in 2024–2025 (64% met the standard in 2023–2024, and 65% met the standard in 2022–2023).
- 64% of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in mathematics in 2024–2025 (61% met the standard in 2023– 2024, and 60% met the standard in 2022–2023).
Learners’ Context:
- 71% of Grade 3 students indicated that they like to read, and 74% that they think they are a good reader.
- 56% of Grade 3 students indicated that they like to write, and 59% that they think they are a good writer.
- 67% of Grade 3 students indicated that they like math, and 64% that they think they are good at math.
Junior Division (Grade 6)
According to the data from 2024–2025, Grade 6 student achievement results, which are given in relation to the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4), have increased in reading, in writing and in mathematics, relative to those from 2023–2024. The three-year trend shows an increase in the percentage of students meeting the provincial standard in reading, in writing and in mathematics.
Percentage of Grade 6 students who met the provincial standard:
- 86% of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in reading in 2024–2025 (82% met the standard in 2023–2024, and 84% met the standard in 2022–2023).
- 85% of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in writing in 2024–2025 (80% met the standard in 2023–2024, and 84% met the standard in 2022–2023).
- 51% of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in mathematics in 2024–2025 (50% met the standard in 2023–2024, and the same percentage met the standard in 2022–2023).
Learners’ Context:
- 61% of Grade 6 students indicated that they like to read, and 70% that they think they are a good reader.
- 52% of Grade 6 students indicated that they like to write, and 50% that they think they are a good writer.
- 48% of Grade 6 students indicated that they like math, and 50% that they think they are good at math.
Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
The Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics is a multi-stage computer adaptive assessment that measures the mathematics knowledge and skills students are expected to have learned by the end of the Grade 9 mathematics course according to The Ontario Curriculum.
According to the data from the 2024–2025 EQAO assessments, Grade 9 student achievement results, which are given in relation to the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4), have increased relative to those in 2023–2024. The three-year trend shows that the percentage of students meeting the provincial standard has increased.
Percentage of students who met the provincial standard in mathematics:
- 58% of Grade 9 students met the provincial standard in mathematics in 2024–2025 (54% met the standard in 2023–2024, and the same percentage met the standard in 2022–2023).
Learners’ context:
- 50% of Grade 9 students indicated that they like mathematics, and 51% that they think they are good at mathematics.
- 64% of Grade 9 students indicated that they think they understand most of the mathematics they are taught.
In response to the results the Ontario government is appointing an advisory body to review the province’s approach to student assessment .
Government officials say the results show insufficient progress for students in Grades 3, 6 and 9.
“The latest EQAO results show that more action is needed to support our students and help them succeed,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Education. “In too many cases, dysfunction and infighting among trustees have distracted boards from this core responsibility. I have taken the time to closely review these results, and we are taking decisive action to get students on track for stronger achievement.”
The government say half of Grade 6 students and 42 per cent of Grade 9 students are not meeting the provincial standard in math and some student groups and school boards continue to face significant gaps in achievement.
For that reason the province will also be launching an expert advisory body to examine EQAO testing. The new advisory body will be made up of two members who will be appointed early next year to lead a comprehensive review of how Ontario supports student learning, focusing on math, reading and writing and closing achievement gaps. The review will examine the root causes behind these results and recommend clear, actionable strategies to better support teachers, parents and students, all while continuing to support Ontario’s public education system.
The review will assess:
- Why student outcomes are not improving at the pace we need
- Whether the curriculum and learning resources are clear, consistent and easy to use
- How well teachers are being prepared and supported
- Whether students have the tools they need to succeed
It will also examine:
- Whether EQAO tests align with what students are being taught and are fair for all students
- How data can be used to improve teaching, policy and funding decisions
- Whether current supports for students who are struggling, including those with special needs, are working
- How to better help students before they take standardized tests
The advisory body will also look at how EQAO tests are designed and delivered to ensure students can meaningfully demonstrate what they’ve learned.
The final report will present its findings and actionable recommendations to the Minister, and these will be made publicly available to guide improvements in supporting everyone involved in education.
