Exams cancelled at most Ottawa high schools

With students `overwhelmed,' Education Ministry letting boards opt out

Most Ottawa high school students won't face final exams this year.

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Thursday that he listened to parents, educators and students before deciding to allow schools to opt out of exams this pandemic year.

“Students in this province feel overwhelmed,” he said at a news conference in response to a question about the issue. “There is a high level of anxiety and stress.”

There are other ways to assess student learning, Lecce said, adding he trusts educators to use their professional judgment.

In a memo, Education Ministry officials said boards are not required this year to have 30 per cent of the final marks for secondary students based on a “final evaluation.” Usually the final evaluation is an exam, but can also be a “performance, an essay or another method of evaluation suitable to the course content.”

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board had cancelled exam days and replaced them with inclass instruction, an official said. “Examinations/summative evaluations will not occur for the 20202021 school year and final grades will be based on 100 per cent term work only.”

Most students are in a “quadmester” system that has four semesters a year rather than the usual two. The first quadmester will be finished in November.

The Ottawa Catholic School Board will not have exams this year, but students will complete a “rich summative task” at or near the end of the quadmester, spokeswoman Sharlene Hunter said.

“Summative tasks allow students to demonstrate comprehension of the course's overall expectations.”

The Upper Canada District School Board also announced there would be no final exams for its secondary students.

“Instead, student grades will be solely based on the specific learning activities and assignments completed by students that serves as term work for each course.”

In other school news:

Elementary reports: The pandemic delayed the start of school until mid- to late September at many school boards in the province.

Elementary students will receive their first report card between Oct. 20 and Nov. 20, as usual.

A memo from the Education Ministry says boards can add a disclaimer, though, to let parents know the report “reflects learning that has occurred in a modified learning environment as required by the provincial public health guidelines. As a result, the rate of progress described on this report card may differ from previous years due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on student learning.”

Volunteer hours for high school

students: In another pandemic-related change, the province reduced the community volunteer requirement high school students need before graduation from 40 hours to 20 hours. The change applies to students graduating this year.

Principals also can expand what can count as volunteer hours this year to include things done at home, such as helping siblings with homework, or up to 10 hours of paid employment.

“Students may wish to consider virtual volunteering, such as connecting with seniors, organizing virtual fundraising events and facilitating discussions with newcomer youth,” an Education Ministry memo said. “Outdoor volunteer opportunities could include, for example, picking up litter.”

EQAO tests, Grade 9 math: The provincewide standardized EQAO tests for students in Grades 3 and 6 this year have already been cancelled.

Grade 9 students will take the EQAO math test online later this fall. It's a field test of the new format. Therefore, the results won't be used as part of a student's final course mark in math unless the student and teacher agree, said the ministry.

Grade 9 students who have finished their math course by Oct. 31 won't have to take the EQAO test.

COVID-19 in schools: On Thursday Ottawa boards reported 151 people with COVID-19 at 99 schools. That means 30.6 per cent of schools in Ottawa's four boards have an active case.

The two French-language school boards, where classes resumed earlier, report a total of 137 cases of COVID-19 now have been resolved.