The latest reports from Ontario’s education assessment agency shows that London-area students are behind the rest of the province when it comes to mathematics.
On Thursday, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), released its 2021-22 math and literacy test results which show Grade 3, 6 and 9 students at both the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) and the London Catholic District School Board (LCDSB) are slightly behind the provincial standards.
Provincially, 59 per cent of Grade 3 students, 47.2 per cent of Grade 6 students and 52.3 per cent of Grade 9 students met, or exceeded the standard.
When compared to the TVDSB results, 53.2 per cent of Grade 3 students, 43.6 per cent of Grade 6 students and 44.6 of Grade 9 students met or exceeded the provincial standard. LCDSB students tested marginally better among primary and junior students with 59 per cent of Grade 3 students, 47.7 per cent of Grade 6 students meeting the province’s standards, however just 43.5 per cent Grade 9 Catholic students met the standard.
The results follow a two-year testing hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time ever, tests were administered to students in an online format. The outcomes follow the new math curriculum released by the Ministry of Education in September 2020.
A decline in math test results is not necessarily a unique problem for London-area students either. Last month, before individual school board results were released, provincial results showed that math skills seemingly declined from previous testing years.
While the results show that London-area students are slightly behind their peers across the province, math scores all around took a dive compared to previous years.
Mark Fisher, the TVDSB’s director of education, said that while there is room for improvement, he believes it is important to acknowledge student achievement at the same time.
Approximately 75 per cent of TVDSB students passed the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test on their first attempt. Fischer said this number represents a five-year historic high for the school board. Graduation rates have also reached a five-year historical high with a rate of 84 per cent for the 2020-21 school year.
“These results show that our board’s dedication to student achievement is paying off,” said Fisher. “In spite of the learning challenges posed by the pandemic, Thames Valley students are graduating at historically high rates. There is still work to be done, but our improvements in student achievement are worth celebrating.”
Fischer said the results of the latest assessment will help measure a baseline for the school board to measure success going forward. He added that numeracy will be an area of focus for the board and added that the TVDSB is looking forward to working with the province to develop ways to improve.
More information about provincial, board and school EQAO results can be found online.
