Provincial test scores show some public board students struggling in math
Overall Grade 10 literacy test scores have been steady for the past five years
For the second year in a row, fewer than half of Grade 6 students with the Greater Essex County District School Board met or exceeded the province's standard in math.
Results for the 2016-2017 Education Quality and Accountability Office tests were published Tuesday, and showed some students with the public board are continuing to struggle with math.
Forty-eight per cent of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in math, while 57 per cent of Grade 3 reached the same level — a one per cent decrease compared to the previous year.
By Grade 9, 86 per cent of Grade 9 students enrolled in academic math courses with the board met Ontario's standard, while only 47 per cent of students in academic courses managed to meet the mark. However, scores for both math levels landed the GECDSB three per cent above provincial scores.
Grade 10 literacy test scores consistent
The board made gains in reading results for elementary students, with scores increasing by one per cent for both levels — 68 per cent of Grade 3 and 77 per cent of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard respectively.
It also celebrated a "marked improvement" in reading scores for special education students at the primary and junior levels. Primary scores increased by three per cent for primary students and two per cent for those at the junior level.
Over the past five years, the primary reading scores for students with special education needs have risen by nine per cent, with students at the junior level not far behind at eight per cent.
The GECDSB also stated the overall success rate of Grade 10 students with the board who have taken the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test has steadily ranged between 79 and 80 per cent.