Peel board uses grade 9 math test results to help students improve

New Online Math and other resources help parents boost their teen's math skills

The Peel District School Board has released school-by-school results of the grade 9 math test conducted by the provincial Education Quality and Accountability Office.

More than 8,000 students in 26 schools participated in the test during the 2000-01 school year. About three-quarters of the students are in the academic program and one-quarter in the applied program. Overall, Peel students in both the academic and applied programs performed at or above the provincial average.

"It's inevitable that some people will try to use this information to make comparison between schools or judgements about the quality of a particular school-and that's unfair and misleading," says Harold Brathwaite, director of education. "The purpose of this test is to improve students' math skills-something that doesn't happen by making invidious comparisons. The Peel board and our schools are using this information to help individual students strengthen the math skills they will need throughout their lives. The schools and the board are also using this information to make improvements in the way we teach math."

"As part of our commitment to accountability, we are giving parents and students more than just the test scores-we're giving them information about what the scores mean and how to make improvements," says Teresa Gonzalez, superintendent of program services. "We have already used what we learned from the first year of testing to help prepare grade 9 students for the testing that took place earlier in January."

The Peel board is providing the following information along with school-by-school and board-wide test results:

• a detailed explanation of the individual test results, for parents of students who took the test
• tips for students about how to improve their math skills
• tips for parents about how to help their teen with math homework

The tips are also available on the Peel board web site at www.peelschools.org or www.peelsb.com.

The board has also developed a new Internet math resource for students and parents. Called Online Math, it features homework helpers, math tools, curriculum information, links to the best other math web sites and much more. "Many students who struggle with math learn better with the help of technology, such as the Online Math site," says Irene McEvoy, math co-ordinator.

EQAO rates student performance on a four-level scale, the same scale used in the Ontario curriculum. Level 1 is below standard and level 4 is above standard. Level 3 is the provincial standard and equates to a grade level of B. A score of level 3 means the student works independently, understands most of the required concepts and completes work with only a few minor errors or omissions. Level 2 work, which equates to a grade level of C, is approaching the provincial standard. Generally, level 2 achievement means the student has learned some of what is expected and still has some more to learn.

"It's important for parents and the public to understand that the grade 9 math test is not a standardized test. It is a test of the actual curriculum students are learning. Unlike a standardized test, a student's performance on the test is not compared to that of other students. Rather, students are scored on how well they perform the required skills expected in grade 9 math," explains McEvoy.

The test consisted of several components:

• multiple choice-These questions provided students with a chance to demonstrate their understanding without having to show their work.
• short answer-These items required students to think mathematically, but needed minimal written response.
• tasks-Students solved a total of six tasks. Each task was a collection of related questions based on one or two strands from the math curriculum.

All of these activities together helped to form a picture of how well students are doing in grade 9 math.

"Anyone who questions how competent grade 9 students are in math should attempt some sample questions from the test themselves. This test, and the curriculum it measures, is very different from what most people remember from their own grade 9 math a generation or more ago," says McEvoy.

Peel District School Board serves 124,000 students in kindergarten to the end of secondary school. Operating 192 schools in the municipalities of Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga with an annual budget of $710 million, the Peel board is the largest employer in Peel. For more information, visit the board's web site at www.peelschools.org.

Media contacts: Teresa Gonzalez, Superintendent, Program Services, 905-890-1010, ext. 2343

Irene McEvoy, Program Co-ordinator, 905-890-1010, ext.2546.

Reference: Sylvia Link, Communications Officer, 905-890-1010, ext. 2814

Note to media: Call 905-890-1010, ext. 2809 to receive any of the following:

• parent tip sheet-how to help your teen improve math skills
• student tip sheet-how to improve your math skills
• backgrounder about Online Math

A demonstration of Online Math and media photo opportunity will be held on Feb. 12 at Meadowvale Secondary School in Mississauga. For more information, contact Sylvia Link at 905-890-1010, ext. 2814.