The Recorder
SUDBURY—Despite provincial trends, the Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) did quite well in the recent Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) provincial assessments, including in mathematics.
“Our board did quite well, we went up in seven of the nine areas, and down a little in one,” stated Norm Blaseg, director of education of the RDSB in an interview with the Recorder last week. He pointed out the RDSB results are opposite of the provincial trends.
Literacy success rates continue to improve in Ontario elementary schools with each passing year, an EQAO release notes. Grade 3 math achievement rates have remained the same though, but have dropped again for students in Grade 6. A review of Grade 6 student math responses shows students consistently do best demonstrating their math knowledge and least well applying that knowledge, particularly in problem solving.
In secondary schools, math success rates have been improving steadily for the past five years for students in both the academic and applied courses. However, more than half the students in the applied course are still not meeting the provincial standard.
Of the Grade 10 students who were eligible to write the Ontario Secondary Literacy Test (OSSLT) for the first time in 2014, 83 percent were successful, maintaining a high level of literacy achievement. Results show the success rate on the OSSLT for students in applied English courses has, however, been decreasing each year for the past five years, the release continues.
Persistently low success rates for students in both the applied English and applied math courses suggest a review of those courses is warranted, indicates the EQAO.
In elementary schools in reading and writing, 70 percent of Grade 3 students and 79 percent of Grade 6 students are now meeting the provincial reading standard, an increase of eight percentage points and seven percentage points, respectively, over the past five years. Seventy-eight percent of students in both Grade 3 and Grade 6 have met the expected level in writing. This represents an eight percentage point increase over the past five years for students in both grades.
In mathematics 67 percent of Grade 3 students met the standard in 2014 compared to 71 percent in 2010, indicating a four percentage point decrease. Fifty-four percent of Grade 6 students met the standard in 2014 compared to 61 percent in 2010. This is a seven percentage point decrease from 2010.
In secondary schools Grade 9 assessment of mathematics, the math success rate has steadily been improving in in both academic and applied courses. Eighty-five percent of students enrolled in the academic math course met the provincial standard this year, a three percentage point increase over the past five years. Forty-seven percent of students enrolled in the applied math course met the provincial standard this year, a seven percentage point increase over the past five years. The success rate of students in the applied math course has remained persistently low, with more than half (53 percent ) of the enrolled students in this course not meeting the provincial standard. A significant number of students who did not meet the standard in the Grade 9 applied math course 990 percent) also had not met the provincial math standards when they were in Grade 6, the release explains.
“Some of the results are still embargoed,” said Mr. Blaseg. He pointed out internationally, Canada is not falling behind in testing results, because in many countries results are given on a pocket state basis, meaning for instance what would be a province in Canada, instead of an entire country.
“More importantly, when you look at the results provincially the past five to six years the tests for Grades 3 and 6 have not been easy,” said Mr. Blaseg. “In the area of literacy where there has been more focus in Ontario, our students are doing quite well nationally, and it is in mathematics we have to do some catch up.” He pointed out, “In Quebec students have seven hours of math work per week, while in Ontario we are mandated to have five hours per week. I can tell you within RDSB we have five and almost six hours of class teaching in mathematics every week.”
“We’ve finding in math solving students are doing their best in demonstrating math knowledge but not as well in applying that knowledge, particularly in problem solving,” said Mr. Blaseg.
“We are not panicking, we’ve done well over the past year and are making strides,” said Mr. Blaseg who said board trustees provided the board $100,000 last year towards programs for teachers to help in developing math skills in students. He pointed out to support students, parents and teachers, the province is introducing learning resources both inside and outside of the classroom. Ontario is focusing on helping students build their math skills by: providing new supports and resources for the classroom, including new learning opportunities in mathematics for educators. This includes investments of $4 million to support workshops for teachers and principals throughout the summer, as well as the Additional Qualifications Courses; and the Supporting Homework Help program, which provides students with free, real-time math tutoring by certified Ontario teachers. The live, interactive online math help is available to students in grade 7 to 10 in all English-language school boards. Last year, 280 certified math teachers provided more than 700 hours of free tutoring to help students work through 800 to 1,000 questions each night.
On September 17, EQAO will release individual reports for each elementary school and its board, as well as a full provincial report on the elementary school assessments. And on September 24, school and board reports will be released for the grade nine assessment of mathematics as well as for the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. A full provincial report on the secondary school assessments will also be released on this date.
