The Rainy River District School Board said it is committed to keep working at improving local student achievement after seeing some grade three and six scores drop below–and some rise above–provincial standards.
The announcement came Tuesday with the board’s release of the results of testing done by the Education Quality and Accountability Office back in May.
“The board has made a commitment to students and parents to work towards a five-percent increase in reading, writing, and mathematics each year over the next three years,” Superintendent of Education Terry Ellwood said.
“In order to meet this commitment, we have hired two literacy co-ordinators, who will join the math co-ordinator, special education co-ordinator, and speech language pathologist in the curriculum services department, providing training resources to teaching staff throughout the system,” Ellwood noted.
Under method one results, which included students who were exempted and those who took part in the assessment but did not produce enough work to be tallied, local grade three students (levels two-four) scored 74 in reading, 85 in writing, and 84 in math.
By comparison, students across Ontario (levels two-four) scored 79, 88, and 85 respectively.
For levels three and four, local students scored 40, 56, and 51 in reading, writing, and math while provincially, students scored 49, 52, and 57.
Under method two testing, in which students achieved at each level work enough to be scored, local grade three students (levels two-four) scored 84, 96, and 92 in reading, writing, and math.
By comparison, students across the province (levels two-four) scored 85, 95, and 92 respectively.
For levels three and four, district students scored 45, 63, and 56 in reading, writing, and math compared to 53, 56, and 62 provincially.
Meanwhile, grade six scores were lower than the provincial average, by a varying margin, across the board.
Under method one testing, local students (levels two-four) scored 75, 80, and 76 in reading, writing, and math while provincially, students scored 81, 82, and 81 respectively.
For levels three and four, local students scored 44, 37, and 39 in reading, writing, and math compared to 50, 48, and 51 provincially.
Under method two testing, local students (levels two-four) scored an 80, 85, and 80 in reading, writing, and math while the provincial average was 87, 87, and 87.
And for levels three and four, district students scored 47, 39, and 41 in the three subjects while provincially, students scored 54, 51, and 55.
“It is important to note that the EQAO results are only one indicator of student achievement,” Education Director Warren Hoshizaki said.
“Our teachers are working very hard to increase student success rates and in light of the many challenges, their dedication is something we look to with pride,” he stressed.
Of note is the discrepancy in achievement between girls and boys not only in the district but across Ontario, the board’s report said. Statistically, boys are achieving at levels lower than their female counterparts.
The board pledges staff will work to develop programs which support improved learning for boys and girls. This is an issue that will require intensive effort by schools and the community, the report said.
The results now will be analyzed at a school level, with schools making more detailed reports available to parents.
“It is exciting to see that when achievement results are studied more specifically, students have shown steady progress over the past three years in mastering the five strands of mathematics and the knowledge skills required for numeracy,” math co-ordinator Walter Rogoza said.
Early next month, all elementary school principals, along with the Program Support Team, will meet to review and update the action plan developed after analyzing the 1999 EQAO results.
Part of the 1999 action plan was holding “summer institutes” at Fort Frances High School for four days before classes started in August. More than 70 district teachers attended them.
Fort Frances Times
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