September 12, 2012
EQAO Reveals Encouraging Trends at DSBN
Today’s EQAO release reveals a strong trend of improved student success at the District School Board of Niagara. Compared to last year’s results, students made gains in six areas measured by the assessment. Students demonstrated particularly strong proficiency in literacy, with students outperforming the province in Grade 3 Reading and Writing, as well as Grade 6 Reading.
Noting that the EQAO provides Boards with a “snapshot” of student learning, Superintendent John Dickson says the Board is particularly encouraged by the five year trends revealed in the data. “Since 2007-08 the DSBN’s results have increased in seven of the eight categories measured by the EQAO, with success rates in some areas increasing more than 10%. We feel this data helps confirm that students are benefitting from our Board-wide focus on literacy and numeracy,” says Dickson.
Since 2007-08, the DSBN’s success rates in literacy have risen:
- 7% in Grade 3 Reading
- 13% in Grade 3 Writing
- 9% in Grade 6 Reading
- 7% in Grade 6 Writing
Students also demonstrated important gains in mathematics, increasing their success rates in Grade 3 Math, and Grade 9 Applied and Academic Math. The five year trends show a strong pattern in Grade 9 student achievement, with Applied Math results increasing 11% since 2007-08. Academic results followed a similar pattern, increasing by 7%.
However, Superintendent Dickson notes that Grade 6 Math is an area of concern. “Both the DSBN’s and provincial success rates in Grade 6 Math declined 3% from last year’s results. This is where the EQAO is most helpful; by using the provincial assessment alongside other forms of evaluation the Board is better able to target areas of strength and areas of improvement. This is certainly one area where we will be directing additional attention and support,” says Dickson.
DSBN Director of Education Warren Hoshizaki says while the EQAO provides school boards with important information about overall trends, “it is important to remember that all students are individuals and have their own unique strengths and needs. Our teachers and principals work hard to tailor specific supports, resources and programs designed to best meet the needs of each child and to help them become successful in school. The EQAO helps inform this process by providing each school with a detailed report which they review and analyze alongside other data to determine their literacy/numeracy focus.”
DSBN Chair Kevin Maves says the EQAO results are important indicators that the DSBN’s plan to support student success is working. However, he also notes that “students spend 194 days learning in class each year. The EQAO represents one assessment, written on a single day. As such, it cannot provide a full and complete picture of student learning. It is the outstanding work of our dedicated teachers and administrators to support student learning on those 193 other days that make improvements like this possible.”
EQAO Highlights
Grade 3 Reading
Success rates improved 2% over last year’s results
These results represent a 7% improvement over 2007-08 results
DSBN results in this category are 3% above the provincial results
Grade 3 Writing
78% of students were successful, which represents a 5% improvement over the previous year’s results
This represents a 13% improvement over 2007-08 results
DSBN results in this category are 2% above the provincial results
Grade 3 Mathematics
Success rates rose 2% over last year’s results
DSBN results in this category are 1% above the provincial results
Grade 6 Reading
DSBN students maintained their success rate of 76%
These results represent a 9% improvement over 2007-08 results
DSBN success rates in this category are 1% above the provincial results
Grade 6 Writing
Success rates increased 1% over the previous year’s results
Since 2007-08, success rates have improved 7%
Grade 9 Applied Math
Success rates improved 6% over the previous year’s results
This year’s results represent an 11% improvement over the DSBN’s 2007-08 results
Grade 9 Academic Math
77% of students were successful, which represents a 4% improvement over last year’s results
Since 2007-08 success rates have increased 7% on the Grade 9 Academic assessment
