EQAO Results Confirm Need to Focus on Math

calculator-1455206430akk-public-domain-640x480According to the 2015/16 Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) results issued last week for Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board students in grades 3, 6 and 9, students have largely maintained the improvements they have made in provincial testing over time in the areas of reading and writing, while mathematics results remain an area of concern.

“In the areas of reading and writing, our students have largely maintained or seen slight improvements in their results over time. Along with almost every school board in Ontario, our challenge remains in the area of mathematics,” says W.R. (Rusty) Hick, Director of Education. “From the provincial level down to each classroom, educators are seeking out strategies to help our students master the challenging math concepts within the curriculum. We know our students have had success in this area in the past and we are confident they will do so again in future.” The weakness is math was not a surprise to the Board, which had already established a Board initiative for this fall where each class will receive at least one hour of math instruction in various forms each school day.

Hick noted the emphasis on mathematics instruction is province-wide, and one the board is pursuing through a number of avenues, noting this is a complex subject for staff and students alike, particularly at the Grade 6 level, suggesting the Board continues “….to explore – within our board, provincially, nationally and internationally – real, effective, tangible strategies to help our students with mathematics learning.”

In the Catholic school board, the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) EQAO results indicated that at the Grade 9 level, students are performing well above the provincial average in mathematics. However, results at the Grades 3 and 6 levels show below-average performance, indicating a need for additional elementary math resources.

Across the province, math proficiency is on the agenda. Beginning this fall, the Ministry of Education has introduced over $60 million in dedicated funding for the subject, which will guarantee a minimum of 300 minutes per week of classroom time is dedicated to a variety of mathematics instruction. There is also a centrally assigned math teacher that will travel to schools to support teachers in the classroom as well as enhanced mathematics professional development for classroom teachers and principals.

Hoping for more math support at home, more parent resources offering helpful tips and information about the mathematics curriculum are available as well as increased online math resources and homework help. Parents who want to do their own homework before they help their children with theirs can visit www.homeworkhelp.ilc.org. for more information. KG

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