Good evening Princess Margaret families,
Below is a link to the Upper Grand District School Board’s update on how our board performed overall on EQAO. If you have a moment, I encourage you to check it out: https://www.ugdsb.ca/article/18110
I would also like to take this opportunity to share how Princess Margaret performed on EQAO, and I could not be prouder of our students and staff! We surpassed both the board and provincial standards in all three areas in both grade 3 & 6. This is something worth acknowledging.
Over the past several years, our staff have worked incredibly hard to strengthen our instruction in both mathematics and literacy. A significant part of this work has focused on explicit teaching, using diagnostic assessments to understand where each student is in their learning, the use of math manipulatives and board approved supports, and providing targeted support to help close learning gaps.
Simply put, we work hard to meet students where they are. We identify their strengths, determine where they need additional support, and then intentionally target those areas. Our goal is to help every student continue to grow and work toward meeting or exceeding the provincial standard in reading, writing, and mathematics.
Our staff have also dedicated significant professional learning time to enhancing their knowledge of high-quality math and literacy instruction that includes: effective resources, diagnostic assessment, best practice use of manipulatives, and other evidence-informed instructional practices such as Math Up and Do the Math.
We have also worked intentionally to prepare our students for the online EQAO platform. This includes supplying more technology in the grade 3 and 6 classrooms and students the opportunities to use technology, so they feel comfortable navigating the assessment and other online math resources. We have also taught strategies for approaching multiple-choice questions and other types of test questions. This makes the test fair to all students.
One of our biggest areas of focus has been encouraging students to slow down, carefully read each question, show their thinking, and double-check their work before entering an answer on the computer. This can be harder than it sounds! With lots of practice, modelling, and reminders, our students have become much better at slowing themselves down when using technology and asking that very important question: “Does my answer make sense?”
I am incredibly thankful for our dedicated staff, who continue to learn, grow, and work tirelessly to meet the needs of the children in front of them. Most importantly, I am so proud of our students, who show us every day what they are capable of when they are supported, challenged, and encouraged. We have work to do, but have come a long way showing steady progress over the last few years.
So, how did Princess Margaret stack up? See for yourself below!
Assessment | UGDSB | Ontario | PMPS Mustangs 25/26 | PMPS Mustangs 24/25 | PMPS Mustangs 23/24 | PMPS Mustangs 22/23 |
Grade 3 Reading | 81% | 75% | 95% | 88% | 50% | 68% |
Grade 3 Writing | 71% | 67% | 89% | 100% | 69% | 55% |
Grade 3 Mathematics | 70% | 65% | 95% | 88% | 50% | 64% |
Grade 6 Reading | 89% | 86% | 100% | 92% | 83% | 66% |
Grade 6 Writing | 88% | 85% | 94% | 88% | 89% | 79% |
Grade 6 Mathematics | 57% | 52% | 59% | 46% | 58% | 25% |
*Percentage of students who wrote EQAO and mee the provincial standard (level 3/4 , Gr.B/A)
Thank you to our students, staff, and families for your continued partnership and commitment to learning. This success belongs to all of us! And remember, grade 3 EQAO is a test of K-3 instruction and Grade 6 EQAO is a test of Grade 4-6 instruction. It’s a reason for all of us to recognize this work.
Andrea Papavasiliou (PapaV)
Principal
Princess Margaret Public School