Newly released standardized test results by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) are showing several positive gains for Bluewater District School Board.
Results from the 2023 - 2024 school year indicate increases in the number of students meeting or exceeding the provincial average in Grade 3 Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, Grade 6 Mathematics, Grade 9 Mathematics, and the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
Grade 3 Reading climbed to 64 percent from 62.3 percent the previous year, while Grade 3 Writing saw a substantial jump to 56 percent compared to 50.4 percent in 2022 - 2023. Grade 3 Mathematics also showed a strong result at 55 percent, up from 47.9 percent the year prior.
Grade 6 Mathematics rose slightly to 39 percent from 38.6 percent. Meanwhile, Grade 6 Reading and Writing held steady at 76 and 71 percent, respectively.
It was a growth year also in Grade 9 Mathematics with a 52 percent score, up from 48.4 percent.
The Grade 10 OSSLT saw significant increases for first-time students who wrote the test with 86 percent meeting or exceeding the provincial average compared to 74.9 percent the previous year. Previously eligible students participating in the OSSLT also performed better this past year with a sharp jump to 63 percent from 50.8 in 2022 - 2023. These results for both groups of students (first-time and previously eligible) exceed the most recent OSSLT provincial averages.
"These notable increases in our EQAO results are fantastic news for Bluewater District School Board, and a solid indicator of the relentless efforts of our educators and administrators to improve student achievement in literacy and numeracy," says Superintendent of Education Wendy Louwerse. "Our focus and commitment to narrowing gaps are paying off as we continue an overall upward trend year over year, while moving into closer alignment with, and in some cases exceeding, provincial averages. While there is always more to be done, our students and staff can feel proud and confident in the great strides we are making to further support excellence across all grade levels."
