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Weather forecast for Monday, October 1, 2018

Today – Cloudy. Periods of drizzle beginning this morning and ending this afternoon. Wind northeast 20 km/h. High 17. UV index 2 or low.

Tonight – Mainly cloudy. 60 percent chance of rain overnight with risk of a thunderstorm. Wind northeast 20 km/h becoming light this evening. Temperature steady near 17.

LKDSB releases 2017-2018 EQAO results

The Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) continues to focus on improving academic outcomes in the areas of literacy and mathematics, following the release of the 2017-2018 Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) results on Sept. 19.

LKDSB’s EQAO results have remained relatively stable in the LKDSB since 2016-2017. LKDSB reports a slight improvement in the EQAO results for Grades 3 and 6 reading compared to 2016-2017. The Grade 9 academic math results have remained consistent, however the results for Grade 9 applied math have fallen below the provincial average. As such, Senior Administration will be reviewing the Grade 3 and 6 writing and mathematics results, as well as the results for Grade 9 mathematics, to understand and develop new strategies for increasing academic achievement and promoting student success.

The LKDSB also remains focused on improving outcomes for the Grade 10 Ontario Student Secondary School Literacy Test.

In alignment with the Ministry of Education’s direction to focus on the fundamentals of math for Grades 1-8, the LKDSB continues to allocate resources and professional development opportunities to increase learning and competency in this area. The LKDSB increased its number of math coaches in 2018-2019, from one math coach in September 2017 to seven math coaches, in order to provide schools with additional supports. As well, the LKDSB will also be hosting a Professional Activity Day on fundamental math skills this year.

“We know the EQAO assessments only provide a small snapshot of our students’ achievements. We are proud of our students’ progress and we will continue to focus on increasing academic outcomes in the areas of mathematics and literacy,” said Director Jim Costello. “Moving forward, we will continue to allocate resources to support academic improvements, including reviewing our assessment preparation practices; providing professional development for staff; and focusing on fundamental math skills.”

EQAO is one of many resources used by LKDSB teachers and administrators to assess students.

These assessments are part of a progressive learning model integrated throughout the elementary and secondary levels.

To view the EQAO results for the LKDSB, visit: https://www.lkdsb.net/Elementary/EQAOandOSSLTResults/Pages/default.aspx

St. Clair Catholic releases results for Grade 3 and 6 EQAO, Grade 9 Math and Grade 10 OSSLT Assessments

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has released the school, board and provincial results for the 2017-2018 Grade 3 and 6 assessments for reading, writing and mathematics.

“From our classroom educators and support staff to our system literacy and numeracy specialists, I want to say a special ‘thank you’ to everyone in our system who supports student learning and achievement,” says Deb Crawford, Director of Education.

“It is important to remember that EQAO data is just one statistical indicator of student achievement and that the assessments must be viewed in correlation to other student achievement data.”

“Math continues to be our focus, as we continue to support our schools through our math facilitators,” says Laura Callaghan, Superintendent of Education for elementary curriculum.

Professional Development Days in October and November will have a math focus. In addition, the Board’s recent summer Refresh conference for educators offered multiple sessions on math and was well-attended.

“We will be incorporating the new Ministry Teachers’ Guide into learning opportunities this year, which aligns well with the work we have supported across our system in the past two years,” says Callaghan.

The tables below summarize the St. Clair results:

“We are putting considerable effort into changing the classroom learning environment for math to one that involves increased expectations for every student,” says Scott Johnson, Superintendent of Education for secondary curriculum. “As a result of these changes in teaching strategy, we are seeing increased engagement and improved student achievement.”

EQAO report summarizes achievement in four levels:

– Level 4 – exceeding the provincial standard

– Level 3 – meeting the provincial standard

– Level 2 – approaching the provincial standard

– Level 1 – performing significantly below the provincial standard

School principals and the K-12 Catholic Learning Services Team will analyze the data generated by EQAO assessments to develop school and Board improvement plans.