Ontario’s Education Minister, Paul Calandra, has expressed concern over the lack of significant improvement in math scores among Grade 3, 6, and 9 students in the province. However, the latest assessment results for Ottawa’s four school boards indicate that students in the capital city are performing above the provincial averages.
In response to the situation, Calandra has announced the formation of a two-person advisory body to conduct a review of Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) testing methods, which also evaluate reading and writing proficiency.
Highlighting the issue of math performance, Calandra pointed out that half of Grade 6 students in Ontario are not meeting the math standards set by the province. Conversely, in Ottawa, the majority of students in the four main school boards have surpassed the provincial benchmarks. For instance, the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) saw over two-thirds of its Grade 6 students exceeding the math target for their grade level.
Notably, the French-language school boards in Ottawa outperformed their English counterparts, while the Catholic boards outshined the public ones, reflecting a consistent trend in the province, according to Sachin Maharaj, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa specializing in educational leadership and policy evaluation.
Examining the achievement levels across the city’s school boards, here are the percentages of students meeting the provincial math standards for the 2024-25 academic year, along with comparisons to the previous year’s scores and the provincial averages:
**Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB):**
– Grade 3: 63% (up from 62% the previous year, below the provincial average of 64%)
– Grade 6: 53% (up from 52% the previous year, above the provincial average of 51%)
– Grade 9: 61% (up from 55% the previous year, above the provincial average of 58%)
A spokesperson for OCDSB expressed satisfaction with the overall increase in the number of students meeting the provincial standards, particularly noting the significant improvement among Grade 9 students.
**Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB):**
– Grade 3: 70% (up from 67% the previous year, above the provincial average of 64%)
– Grade 6: 58% (up from 52% the previous year, above the provincial average of 51%)
– Grade 9: 58% (up from 57% the previous year, on par with the provincial average of 58%)
Mary Donaghy, the director of education at OCSB, expressed satisfaction with this year’s results, emphasizing consistent performance above the provincial averages and year-over-year improvements.
**Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO):**
– Grade 3: 76% (unchanged from the previous year, above the provincial average of 64%)
– Grade 6: 66% (up from 62% the previous year, above the provincial average of 51%)
– Grade 9: 68% (up from 62% the previous year, above the provincial average of 58%)
CEPEO acknowledged that while their results surpass the provincial averages, they remain committed to ongoing efforts to enhance learning environments for student success and well-being.
**Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE):**
– Grade 3: 78% (down from 79% the previous year, above the provincial average of 64%)
– Grade 6: 68% (up from 64% the previous year, above the provincial average of 51%)
– Grade 9: 72% (up from 70% the previous year, above the provincial average of 58%)
CECCE lauded their outstanding results, surpassing the provincial averages across all tests and achieving the highest scores among Francophone school boards in the region.
The variations in performance among the school boards in Ottawa highlight the need for continued efforts to enhance math education and student achievement in the province.