Catholic schools on literacy par with province
Jun 11, 2009 - 03:49 PM
By Bill Tremblay
NORTHUMBERLAND -- Grade 10 students in the Kawartha Pine Ridge (KPR) District School Board scored slightly below average on their standardized literacy test.
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) released province-wide test scores, on Wednesday, June 10. Throughout Ontario, 85 per cent of students taking the test for the first time met the EQAO literacy standards. Among KPR high schools, 81 per cent of students met the required literacy standards – a one per cent increase over last year.
The literacy test determines if students have achieved Grade 9 literacy levels outlined in the Ontario curriculum. The test is one of 32 requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Rob Andrews, KPR superintendent of education, student achievement and student success, said the board is happy with the test results.
“We’re still a little bit below the province, but we had a huge improvement over scores last year,” Mr. Andrews said. “All around, a very positive result and we’re very pleased with it.”
KPR students in the academic stream were 97 per cent successful, while 64 per cent of students in the applied stream passed the test. Student success in the locally developed stream increased six to 19 per cent. Mr. Andrews said the applied and academic stream success rate is higher than provincial averages.
“We are in a little bit of a different position because of the way the stream of studies works out with the number of kids in our board,” Mr. Andrews said. “The one stream we did not out-score (the province) in is the smallest. That tells you something about where our kids are studying and that’s fine.”
KPR students in the academic stream account for 56 per cent of the board’s population. Province-wide, two thirds of students are enrolled in academic streams.
“The test is an academic-style test,” Mr. Andrews said. “Naturally, students studying courses in the academic stream are liable to do better on the test.”
Students in the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board (PVNC) tied the 85 per cent provincial average.
“We’d like 100 per cent of the students to pass this test, but there are other opportunities for them,” PVNC Superintendent Ron McNamara said.
Students are offered a second chance to take the test in Grade 11. The Ontario Literacy Course is offered in lieu of the test for students who fail their second attempt at the literacy test.
Mr. McNamara said the Catholic board has generally exceeded the provincial average for the past five years.
“We do see some fluctuations from school to school and you’re talking about a different group of kids each year,” Mr. McNamara said. “We’d like 100 per cent, but we’re still working toward that.”
The test’s academic standards are created by a committee of educators and the public.
“They have a standard they set that they believe students will require,” Mr. McNamara. “We make sure we try to get the students at that level of literacy so they can be successful.”
- with files from Andrea Ferguson
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