Standard testing scores slipping at public schools
Results at Catholic schools are moving in the opposite direction
Despite several years of intensive efforts to boost EQAO test scores, the public school board has seen an increase in the percentage of tests that don’t meet the provincial standard compared to five years ago.
The numbers, contained in this week’s Fraser Institute schools’ report, show 60 per cent of local public elementary schools and 57 per cent of high schools have seen an increase in unsuccessful test scores.
“That’s not good enough as far as I’m concerned,” trustee Alan Halberstadt said Tuesday.
“We have set some aggressive goals. I would hope to see improvement over the next couple of years under our plans.
“Ultimately we should be accountable for these (goals).”
Superintendent of education Clara Howitt, who oversees EQAO testing for the board, wasn’t available for comment Tuesday.
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) administers annual tests in reading, writing and math for Grades 3 and 6 as well as the Grade 9 math test and the Grade 10 literacy test.
The Fraser Institute is a West Coast-based think-tank that releases an annual academic ranking of elementary and secondary schools in Canada.
Of the 53 elementary schools, which had complete results for testing in Grade 3 and Grade 6, 32 had a higher percentage of tests not meeting standards in 2016 than in 2012.
Excluding Western Secondary School, which is devoted to specialized programming, eight of the board’s 14 high schools experienced an increase in the percentage of students failing to meet provincial standards on the Grade 9 math and Grade 10 literacy tests.
The public elementary schools showing an increase of 10 per cent or more in the percentage of students failing to meet provincial standards include: Glenwood, Margaret D. Bennie, Parkview, General Brock, Princess Elizabeth and Westgate. Schools with improvements of 10 per cent or more over the past five years were: East Mersea (Wheatley), Harrow, Percy P. McCallum, Gosfield North Central, Eastwood and John Campbell.
East Mersea showed the most improvement with 24.7 per cent more students meeting the provincial standard than five years ago.
The most improved high school was Essex, with nearly seven per cent more tests meeting the standards.
“I think we know, based on EQAO results, is we need to work on our math outcomes,” said trustee Jessica Sartori.
“The board has directed a significant effort into this area. We were above the provincial average last year in Grade 9 academic and applied math testing. That’s a move in the right direction.
“We know we have much more work to do.”
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board saw virtually the opposite results in its elementary schools.
Nearly 62 per cent of its elementary schools reduced the percentage of EQAO tests not meeting provincial standards over the past five years.
At the high school level, excluding St. Michael’s Adult High School, six of the Catholic board’s eight high schools also showed improvement.
Emelda Byrne, a superintendent of education for the WECDSB, feels a targeted approach to math in particular is behind the Catholic board’s success.
“Investing a lot of time and resources has produced positive results that show us we’re going in the right direction,” Byrne said.
“It’s had an impact in our junior grades and Grade 9.
“At all eight of our secondary schools, the Grade 9 math scores improved in testing last year because of that work.”
In fact, students scored above the provincial average in every EQAO test in 2016.
Byrne credits one of the board’s own initiatives, Leading Student Achievement, for having a major impact on math scores.
Under the plan, students take a pre-assessment test before each math unit they study to identify what they know and what they’re weak in.
“The teacher doesn’t waste time teaching the group what they already know,” Byrne said. “Instead they’ll work on what they are having problems with.
“Also on tests we have teachers give written feedback on the questions they struggled with.
“Sometimes the simplest interventions are the best ones.”
Leamington’s Cardinal Carter improved the most among the board’s high schools with 10.7 per cent more students meeting provincial standards than in 2012.
The Catholic board saw 21 of 35 elementary schools reduce the percentage of EQAO tests not meeting expected standards over the five-year stretch.
Six of those schools improved by 10 per cent or more.
The biggest gain came at St. Bernard (Amherstburg) that reduced the number of tests not meeting provincial standards by 23.9 per cent.
Other double-digit improvements over the five years came at W.J. Langlois (18.2), St. Bernard (Windsor) (13.8), Queen of Peace (13.1), Stella Maris (11.1) and St. Louis (10.9).