Local school boards post mixed EQAO results

After recent reports that nearly half of Ontario’s Grade 6 students failed to meet the provincial standard in math, the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board (HPCDSB) and the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) say it’s not all bad news.

Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra released the latest Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) testing data, noting only 51 per cent of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in math this school year.

“When I got results, it frustrated me and made me quite upset,” Calandra said during a press conference early this month. “If we were doing it right, then we wouldn’t have 50 per cent of our students not meeting provincial benchmarks.”

In a media release, the HPCDSB said 68 per cent of its students in the primary division met the provincial standard in math, 55 per cent of junior division students met the standard and 51 per cent of Grade 9 students achieved the standard.

The AMDSB reported that 67 per cent of Grade 3 students met the provincial math standard, 52 per cent of Grade 6 students met the standard and 47 per cent of Grade 9 students met the standard.

Though math scores throughout the province were not as strong as expected, both AMDSB and HPCDSB say results show improvement that exceeds provincial standards in reading, writing and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).

The AMDSB reported improvement across all eight measures, with some increasing by as much as 11 per cent over the previous year.

The HPCDSB said it is proud of its ongoing focus on student achievement, which continues to be reflected in test results. The board also reported having one of the highest participation rates in the province.

Both boards note these results are just one of many assessment tools used to measure and support student achievement. They add that the data represents a snapshot in time and is most useful when examined as part of long-term trends.

“Our EQAO results reflect the hard work of students and staff as they continue to progress toward excellence in literacy and mathematics,” said Mary Helen Van Loon, chair of the HPCDSB board of trustees. “We are proud of their achievements but recognize there is still work to be done. As a board, we remain diligent in our efforts to provide the support and resources necessary to reach these goals.”

To see the provincial scores – as well as local data – visit https://www.eqao.com/results/.