EQAO fosters improvement in schools
Testing offers insights into every student’s achievement at key stages
By understanding where students are lagging in performance, schools can put initiatives in place to address specific needs.
Ken Durkacz raises useful questions about EQAO (“EQAO testing provides little to no real value,” June 5) but I respectfully disagree with his conclusion. EQAO helps to foster continuous improvement within the education system, to the benefit of each and every student in Ontario’s public schools.
While Mr. Durkacz believes that nothing new is learned from EQAO results, the majority of educators see EQAO data as valuable resources for improving learning strategies, allocating resources and reviewing professional-development requirements. By understanding where students are lagging in performance, schools can put initiatives in place to address specific needs. In a 2016 survey of teachers whose students had written our tests, more than two-thirds of respondents said they used EQAO data to identify areas for improvement, and more than half used EQAO data to inform classroom instruction.
We are the first to say that Ontarians must consider large-scale assessment data alongside other sources of information to build a full picture of trends within a school. When viewed together, classroom data (e.g., report cards and teacher observations), board data (e.g., student climate surveys) and EQAO data offer a more complete understanding of student-achievement trends and possible contributing factors.
In addition, each school and school board benefits by having EQAO data sets that speak to their unique circumstances. EQAO’s census-based assessments offer insights into every student’s achievement at key stages of his or her schooling — Grades 3, 6, 9 and 10 — providing us with specific and accurate information about how the education system prepares children for success.
It is incorrect to state that our tests have “virtually no relation to the assessment of student work set by the Ministry of Education.” EQAO assessments are based on The Ontario Curriculum, and test questions are written by Ontario educators. Each question goes through a vetting process to ensure that it is aligned with curriculum expectations, free of bias, and at the appropriate level of difficulty.
This year, EQAO’s budget was just over $35 million. This represents 0.15 per cent of the total Ministry of Education budget, and I respectfully submit that this percentage is a reasonable price tag for a program that not only maintains accountability within public education, but also helps foster continuous system improvement.
Mr. Durkacz is critical of the fact that test scores do not impact students’ report cards. Yet the purpose of EQAO is to evaluate the quality of the education system — not individual students. EQAO was created in response to parents’ and taxpayers’ demands for more accountability within the education system, and EQAO data help to demonstrate results achieved through investments in education.
EQAO operates independently to ensure the quality and impartiality of its assessment program. We ask scorers to sign confidentiality agreements to protect student information and test questions. This does not infringe on our openness but, rather, ensures the integrity of the assessment and reporting processes.
When EQAO data are analyzed with the goal of strengthening learning programs, public schools can help every student achieve his or her full potential. That is the value of EQAO.
Dr. Richard Jones is Interim Chief Executive Officer at EQAO.