Backgrounder


Highlights Of 2009-10 EQAO Results

August 30, 2010

Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) provincial test scores from the 2009-10 school year show that overall, 68 per cent of Ontario Grade 3 and 6 students are meeting or exceeding the provincial standard in reading, writing and math. This is a 14 percentage point increase from 54 per cent in 2002-03. In addition, English-language Grade 9 math scores have increased by more than 16 percentage points in the same period.

Elementary Student Improvement from 2002-03 to 2009-10
  GRADE 3 GRADE 6
English-language French-language English-language French-language
Reading
  • 50% – 62% (+12)
  • 47% – 68% (+21)
 56% – 72% (+16) 58% – 80% (+22)
Writing
  • 55% – 70% (+15)
 58% – 81% (+23) 54% – 70% (+16) 63% – 80% (+17)
Mathematics
  • 57% – 71% (+14)
 47% – 72% (+25) 53% – 61% (+8) 66% – 81% (+15)

Secondary Student Improvement from 2002-03 to 2008-09
  GRADE 9 MATH
English-language French-language
Academic
  • 66% – 82% (+16)
  • 66% – 71% (+5)
Applied
  • 21% – 40% (+19)
  • 20% – 36% (+16)

Numbers in parentheses indicate the percentage point increase from 2002-03 to 2009-10.

These results are important tools to help educators assess if students are mastering the skills they need to succeed later in school – and in life. Ninety-one per cent of elementary school principals report using EQAO data to identify program strengths and areas for improvement, and 76 per cent use the data to direct resources to those programs. Student results show the benefit of this data:

  • 16 per cent of English-language students who did not meet the provincial standard for reading when they were in Grade 3 (2006-07) met the provincial standard this year.
  • Almost a quarter of French-language students who did not meet the provincial standard in math when they were in Grade 3 met the standard this year.
  • More than half of the students who did not meet the provincial standard in math when they were in Grades 3 or 6 met the provincial standard on the academic math assessment this year.

Helping schools improve student achievement

The Ministry of Education has many programs and initiatives to help teachers, administrators and students improve learning and achievement, for example:

  • Ontario Focused Intervention Partnership (OFIP): The OFIP initiative focuses on reducing gaps in student achievement by providing funding to all boards based on local needs.
  • Schools in the Middle: The Schools in the Middle initiative assists teams of teachers, principals and supervisory officers in implementing effective practices for improving student learning and achievement.
  • Primary Class Sizes: Thousands of new teachers were hired to create smaller classes in primary grades. In 2009-10, all Junior Kindergarten through Grade 3 classrooms had 23 students or less. This means younger students are receiving the individual attention they need to succeed.
  • Parenting and Family Literacy Centres: In 2009-10, there were 144 Parenting and Family Literacy Centres located in schools across the province. These centres help prepare children for starting school and encourage families to be a part of their children's learning.
  • Student Success Strategy: The government’s Student Success programs are helping more students thrive at school by allowing them to tailor their high school experience to suit their individual strengths, goals and interests. Since 2003-04, 52,500 additional students have graduated with help from Student Success programs.