NEWS RELEASE
UPPER GRAND DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
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Results from the province’s 2017-18 Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) tests have been released for school boards across Ontario, including the Upper Grand District School Board.
Grade 9 Math
Secondary students in the UGDSB continue to exceed provincial standards in mathematics.
The assessment was administered in January 2018 to first semester students and in June 2018 to second semester students enrolled in Grade 9 Applied or Academic Mathematics courses.
In the Academic course, Upper Grand students surpassed the provincial average of 84 per cent, with 91 per cent of UGDSB students meeting or exceeding the provincial standard, which is up from 90 per cent in the UGDSB last year.
In the Applied course, 63 per cent of students in Upper Grand schools met or exceeded the provincial standard in 2017-18, ahead of the provincial average of 45 per cent. The UGDSB result is an increase of five percentage points over last year.
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
Students in UGDSB secondary schools who were eligible to write the EQAO Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) this year have achieved an 79 per cent success rate. The result is equal to the provincial average. For the past six years Upper Grand DSB has been either the same as or within one or two percentage points of the provincial average.
The test was administered in April 2018. First Time Eligible (FTE) students in the Academic English program continue to excel, with 94 per cent of students meeting or exceeding the standard, compared to 90 per cent provincially. Forty-six per cent of students in Applied English courses were successful, which is down compared to last year, however students in Applied courses achieved considerably above the provincial average of 39 per cent.
Primary and Junior Results
In May and June of 2018, grade 3 and grade 6 students in the UGDSB participated in the EQAO assessment. Students’ responses were evaluated in the areas of reading, writing and math.
Grade 3 Results
In reading, 74 per cent met or exceeded the provincial standard, up from 71 per cent last year. The provincial average for the 2017-18 assessment was 75 per cent. In writing, 70 per cent achieved the standard, compared to 72 per cent provincially. In math, 56 per cent achieved the standard, versus 61 per cent provincially.
Grade 6 results
In reading, 83 per cent of UGDSB grade 6 students met or exceeded the provincial standard, compared to 82 provincially. In writing, 80 per cent met the standard, which is two percentage points up from last year and equal to the provincial average. In math, 48 per cent met the standard, versus 49 per cent provincially.
Release of the 2017-18 EQAO results provides important information for the board and UGDSB schools. The information offers an opportunity to conduct an analysis of the results in order to identify best instructional practices, which in turn prompt the best possible student achievement.
The collection and reporting of this data is the necessary first step in the process of critical analysis. The data is used by school administrators and teachers to develop school improvement plans and specific action plans with the goal of higher achievement.
Additional information is available here and on the EQAO website.
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