Education

EQAO Report

EQAO: Ontario Secondary Literary Test (School) Results, April 24, 2001

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test assesses reading and writing skills based on the new grade 9 curriculum. We look at the test as a learning opportunity, not a ranking opportunity.

Each school will use test results to make improvement plans for May 2001. Each school will review an improvement plan for every student who did not successfully complete the test.

We are focusing on using what we learned to help our grade 9 students to get ready to take the test next year when required for graduation.

Fifty percent of Superior-Greenstone DSB students passed both the Reading and Writing components as compared to 61% of Ontario students.

Test results and contextual data give us an opportunity to develop improvement strategies that address weaknesses at the school and board level. Contextual data includes issues such as:

  • Students did not follow instructions
  • Knowledge that the test did not count as a graduation requirement
  • A higher incidence of absence on test day
  • Some deferred taking the test

 

EQAO will evaluate and refine tthe test that will in the future be a graduation requirement.

The Superior-Greenstone DSB secondary schools' success rate is unacceptable. Principals and teachers will develop detailed plans to ensure greater student success in the future.

The Chart A and B provide information as follows:

Chart A: An overview of our Secondary School Literacy Test Results

Chart B: Comparison of our Secondary School Literacy Test Results with other Northwester Ontario Boards

 

Chart A

School by School Literacy Test Results
Geraldton Composite HS Lake Superior HS Nipigon Red Rock DHS Manitouwadge HS Marathon HS
Participating Summary # % # % # % # % # %
Students who wrote the test both days 59 87 61 90 61 94 41 95 71 85
Absent one or both days 9 13 7 10 4 6 2 5 7 8
Deferred 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 7
Total Students working towards a diploma 68 100 68 100 65 100 43 100 84 100
Exempt 0 1 0 0 1
Total including exemptions 68 69 65 43 85
Results
Successfully completed the test 34 50 38 56 39 60 22 51 31 37
Wrote the test, not successful:
Failed both Reading and Writing 11 16 12 18 10 15 13 30 13 15
Failed Writing and passed Reading 9 13 5 7 4 6 5 12 19 23
Failed Reading and passed Writing 4 7 6 9 8 12 1 2 8 10
Absent one or both days 9 13 7 10 4 6 2 5 7 8
Deferred 0 0 0 0 6 7
Total students working towards a diploma 68 100 68 100 65 100 43 100 84 100

 

Chart B

School by Schol Literacy Test Results Comparison with Northwestern Ontario Boards
Superior-Greenstone DSB M-1 M-2 Rainy River DSB M-1 M-2 Keewatin-Patricia DSB M-1 M-2 Lakehead DSB M-1 M-2

Geraldton HS

Lake Superior HS

Manitouwadge HS

Marathon HS

Nipigon Red Rock DHS

50

56

51

37

60

58

62

54

44

64

Atikokan HS

Fort Frances HS

Rainy River HS

37

42

57

51

50

59

Beaver Brae SS

Dryden HS

Ignace HS

Queen Elizabeth DHS

Red Lake DHS

61

70

41

32

42

66

73

43

48

54

Fort William CI

Hammarskjold HS

Hillcrest HS

Port Arthur CI

Sir Winston Churchill C & VI

56

55

54

55

59

53

64

58

68

66

Notes:

M-1 = Method 1: The percentage of students who were eligble and passed the test.

M-2 = Method 2: The precentage of students who actually wrote and passed the test.

61% of Ontario's Grade 10 students passed the test based on Method 1 results.

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