2015 literacy test results released
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2014
GUELPH, Ontario – Secondary students in Upper Grand high schools who were eligible to write the EQAO Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) this year have achieved an 80% success rate.
The result is two percentage points below the provincial average of 82%. For the past five years Upper Grand has been either the same as, or within one or two percentage points of the provincial average.
“While the overall results are down a little, I am happy to see improvement over last year for students in Applied and Locally Developed Compulsory Credit courses” said Mark Bailey, Chair of the Board. “Several schools targeted achievement in this area through special projects and the use of technology to support student success in literacy.”
The OSSLT assesses the reading and writing skills students are expected to learn across all subjects by the end of grade 9. All students, whether in Academic or Applied programs, take the same test. Successful completion of the OSSLT, and/or the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC), is one of the 32 requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
“Students in the Academic program continue to do well,” Bailey said, noting that at 95%, this exceeded the provincial average. “However, students in Applied, ESL/ELD, and LDCC courses, as well as students with special needs will always require targeted support and early intervention.” The success rate for students in the Applied program had been trending downward for the last five years. This year, it went up from 53% to 55%. The provincial average remains at 50%.
Of the 2,512 students eligible to write the test for the first time (FTE), 47% were female and 53% were male. Girls outperformed boys with an 84% success rate, compared to 77% for the boys. The gender discrepancy is slightly less pronounced in Upper Grand as compared to the province, where 86% of female students were successful versus 78% for males.
Students with special needs (FTE, excluding the gifted) achieved a 48% rate of success, and 58% of ESL/ELD students were successful.
Release of the results of the 2014-15 OSSLT provides information used by the Board and its schools to identify best instructional practices. The data is used by school administrators and teachers to develop school improvement plans with the goal of higher achievement. Strategies that proved most effective in helping struggling students will be noted and shared by curriculum support staff.
Results for individual schools are shown below and are based on all students who wrote the OSSLT.
Additional information is available at www.ugdsb.ca/eqao, and on EQAO’s website at www.eqao.com.
For more information:
Heather Boswell, Communications Officer – Acting
519-822-4420 ext.725
[email protected]
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