By Haldimand Press staff
HALDIMAND—The Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB) has released the results of the 2021-22 provincial EQAO assessments, revealing scores that place local students below the provincial average in all assessed categories.
EQAO is a provincial test designed to assess student literacy and math skills at various points throughout their journey from kindergarten to Grade 12. Students in Grades 3 and 6 take part in reading, writing, and math testing, while Grade 9 students are tested in math and Grade 10 students are tested in reading and writing.
According to GEDSB, some categories saw an improvement over the last EQAO results, recorded in 2019 prior to the pandemic, including reading and writing at the Grade 6 level. However, overall, the results are well below provincial averages.
“We are proud of the work and resilience of our educators, support staff, and administrators, who, despite the challenges and upheavals of the past two years, helped keep Grand Erie students on track,” said JoAnna Roberto, Director of Education for GEDSB. “We also know we have more work to do, and we are confident the focused strategies we have in place are having a positive impact and will continue to support student success and learning results.”
According to a GEDSB press release, this year’s tests represented a “substantial change” from previously administered tests. The new tests are based on new math curriculum for Grades 3, 6, and 9. As such, any comparison to previous results should only be seen as a “reference point.”
The release went on to mention that 2021-22 was the first time EQAO reporting is based on a new digitized delivery method and a modernized and digitized assessment process: “For Grade 9 math, 2021-22 was the first time it was written by all students, rather than the previous separate tests for students in Academic and Applied math streams,” said the release.
Roberto said the EQAO results, used along with other metrics, influence decisions around focus areas for the district: “What we are seeing is an affirmation of the direction laid out in our Multi-Year Strategic Plan with learning goals and strategies to improve early literacy and math.”
Grand Erie’s final report for its 2021-22 Annual Learning and Operating Plan showed early positive outcomes as a result of the strategies implemented. In the past school year, Grade 9 math results improved from Semester 1 to 2, as well as general improvements in primary-grade math results from Term 1 to Term 2. Elementary literacy results also improved from Term 1 to Term 2.
The release concluded, “The 2022-23 Annual Learning and Operating Plan continues to be responsive to the learning needs of students and has specific strategies towards a goal of improving learning results in early literacy, math and graduation.”
