The Toronto District School Board has released Ontario government test results which show that on average City kids are well behind children in the rest of the province when it comes to proficiency in mathematics. It says more work is needed to improve math skills particularly for those in Grade 9. The 2019 results measured by the ministry’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) shows that only 22 percent of TDSB students enrolled in applied mathematics courses performed at or above the provincial standard, which is 22 percentage points lower than the Ontario average of 44 percent and six percentage points lower than the TDSB’s average in 2018. In academic math courses, 77 per cent of TDSB students performed at or above provincial standards, seven percentage points lower than the Ontario average and two percentage points lower than the TDSB average in 2018.
Pupils tested in Grades 9, 6 and 3
The EQAO assessments, which are administered each year, test students in Grade 9 on mathematics and students in grades 3 and 6 on reading, writing, and mathematics. TDSB Director John Malloy said while progress is still needed in math, this year’s results show “strong scores” in reading and writing for Grade 3 and Grade 6 students. According to the results, 76 percent of Grade 3 TDSB students performed at or above the provincial standard this year, two percentage points higher than the provincial average. In writing, 73 percent of Grade 3 TDSB students met or exceeded the provincial standard, which is four percentage points higher than the Ontario average. The EQAO results also show that 61 percent of Grade 3 TDSB students performed at or above the provincial standard in math, three percentage points higher than the provincial average. Grade 6 TDSB students were on par with the Ontario average of 81 percent for reading and slightly higher than the provincial average for writing at 83 percent. The results show that 53 percent of Grade 6 TDSB students met or exceeded the provincial standard in math, five percentage points higher than the Ontario average.
