The local public and Catholic school boards are pleased with student achievements in the latest provincial standardized testing results.
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The recent release by Education Quality and Accountability Office shows significant growth in student reading and math results, a Lambton Kent District school board release said.
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Pupils “achieved an incredible nine per cent surge” in Grade 6 math results, the board said.
The LKDSB also outpaced provincial growth rates in reading, writing and math at the Grade 3 level, and writing at the Grade 6 level. There was also an increase in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test results.
“These results are indicative that our collective commitment to both improving student competency and confidence is paying off,” board education superintendent Ben Hazzard said in the release.
“Not only are we seeing remarkable increases in our assessment results, but we are actually seeing an increase in student confidence in specific areas,” which has benefits far beyond the classroom, he added.
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When it comes to math, in particular, the public board has been “dedicated to ensuring students are truly gaining a deeper understanding,” Hazzard said.
“It is not enough for them to simply be able to do the equations, we want them to be able to fully understand the process, which we know will result in greater successes for them down the road,” he added.
St. Clair Catholic District school board Grade 3 and 6 pupils also saw big increases in math results, a board release said.
The Grade 6 math result was eight percentage points above the previous assessment and Grade 3 math was up five percentage points, the Catholic board said.
At the secondary level, students scored seven percentage points higher on the OSSLT, achieving a success rate of 88 percent, three points higher than the provincial average, the Catholic board said. The Grade 9 math rate was up one percentage point from the last assessment.
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“These upward trends are significant and show that our pedagogies are sound and that our staff is committed to helping our students achieve their very best,” board education director Scott Johnson said in the release.
“These significant gains are a direct result of the board’s strategic priorities and the board and school improvement plans that are developed annually, following each EQAO assessment,” he added. “. . . We will review the data in detail, as we begin to develop our student achievement plans for the future.”
EQAO RESULTS BY THE NUMBERS
Pupils achieving at or above the provincial standard
Lambton Kent District school board
Grade 3
- Reading: 65% (+5%)
- Writing: 55% (+4%)
- Math: 53% (+3%)
Grade 6
- Reading: 78% (-1%)
- Writing: 78% (+2%)
- Math: 42% (+9%)
Grade 9 Math
Students at grade level 3 and above: 34% (no change)
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
Student success rate: 78% (+2%)
* * *
St. Clair Catholic District school board
Grade 3
- Reading: 72% (+2%)
- Writing: 63% (+2%)
- Math: 59% (+5%)
Grade 6
- Reading: 85% (-1%)
- Writing: 85% (+3%)
- Math: 47% (+8%)
Grade 9 Math
Students achieving at grade level 3 and above: 47% (+1%)
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
Student success rate: 88% (+7%)
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