Catholic students outsmart the average as data for Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills revealed

Results from province-wide testing show Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) students are ahead of the curve in reading, writing and mathematics.

Testing done through 2023-24 by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) of Ontario indicates assessments for Grades 3 and 6 students in writing, reading and mathematics and Grade 9 students in mathematics and literacy all meet or surpass provincial averages.

“We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of our students, as they continue to meet and surpass the provincial standards in all EQAO areas,” said John Klein, director of education for the HCDSB. These results are a testament to the dedication and expertise of our educators, who are committed to addressing the needs of our students.”

EQAO assesses how well Ontario’s public education system develops students’ reading, writing and math skills. Tests are conducted at different times for students in kindergarten through to Grade 12.

The HCDSB has broken down the data from the latest results to show the community where students stand.

• Grade 3 assessments indicate that 79 per cent of students in reading, 74 per cent in writing, and 71 per cent in mathematics met or exceeded the provincial standards.
• Grade 6 assessments indicate that 87 per cent of students in reading, 85 per cent in writing, and 58 per cent in mathematics met or exceeded the provincial standards.
• Grade 9 assessments for mathematics indicate that 65 per cent of the Board’s Grade 9 students met or exceeded the provincial standard in math.

For the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) results show that 89 per cent of the board’s fully participating, and first-time eligible secondary students who wrote the OSSLT successfully completed the assessment. The OSSLT measures whether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. Successful completion of the literacy test is one of the requirements to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Klein went on to say that despite the success of the testing, there is always room for improvement.

“Moving forward, we will continue to use EQAO assessment data, alongside a variety of data to identify student strengths and focus our efforts on areas where additional attention and resources are needed,” he said.