Five-year trend shows improvement in DSBN student achievement

A DSBN self-performance review showed mixed results in assessing recent standardized test results.

While there were successes, it acknowledged areas need work — especially Grade 9 applied math.

Five-year trends also showed steady improvements.

That report on District School Board of Niagara’s 2015/16 Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement was delivered to trustees at Tuesday’s meeting.

Among its performance indicators are results of province-wide tests done by the province’s Education Quality and Accountability Office, and the change from 2013/14 compared to 2015/16, two years later.

“We are encouraged by our continued growth in both elementary and secondary as reflected by the wide variety of data and evidence,” DSBN superintendent Helen McGregor told trustees.

DSBN’s own goals and results in various testing categories showed generally positive outcomes for primary and junior scores.

For example, a goal in junior mathematics for Grade 6 students was to see EQAO scores jump seven percentage points to 54 from 47, with the result an actual 12-point leap to 59 per cent.

However, for primary Grade 3 math, the board wanted to see an increase of four percentage points 73 from 69, with the bump-up ending up at 70 per cent — a figure which measures students meeting the provincial standard.

For Grade 9 results, literacy

We are encouraged by our continued growth in both elementary and secondary as reflected by the wide variety of data and evidence.” DSBN superintendent Helen McGregor

scores decreased slightly. In academic math, the goal for Grade 9 scores was a four point rise to 82 from 78. The results showed a one point gain.

In applied math scores, a three percentage increase goal was sought by board staff, but the result slumped by two percentage points.

English Language Learners scores also got a red flag, with most results falling short of goals.

However, at the meeting it was mentioned by a senior staff there are concerns about a coding error for primary ELL data that could affect results in this case.

Five-year DSBN trends painted a far brighter picture.

They showed often marked improvements, with an increase from one to 10 points in virtually all categories in junior grades.

In high schools, math and literacy tests also showed steady EQAO gains. There were also improvements in credit accumulation.

DSBN Grimsby-Lincoln trustee Cheryl Keddy-Scott praised the layout and thoroughness of the report’s data. “It’s an amazing document and I’m proud as a trustee to have this,” she said.

DSBN education director Warren Hoshizaki also commented that applied math is a challenge across the province.

“There are a number of strate- gies across the system,” he said. “It certainly questions a lot of things around testing, instruction and we’re trying to (see what we need to do).”

During the meeting, trustees also agreed to Hoshizaki’s request to send a letter to the EQAO and provincial education ministry urging completed provincial online literacy tests be marked and counted.

Last week, the Ontario agency responsible for administering the first online literacy test to high school students says it was forced to pull the plug by a cyber attack.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office says the network hosting the voluntary online test was targeted by an large volume of traffic from IP addresses around the globe.

Hoshizaki said about 2,000 of the tests were completed by students before the crash.