November 25, 2004

Math scores increase over last year for students in the Peel board
Students in both applied and academic programs performed better than last year

High school students in the applied program scored seven per cent higher on the provincial math test while scores for academic students also increased. During the 2003-04 school year 9,256 Peel students took the Education Quality and Accountability Office grade 9 math test.

"I am so proud of the hard work of our teachers and administrators in preparing students for these tests. Our teachers at the Peel board are given significant in-service training on grade 7, 8 and 9 applied math programs and these results are clear indicators of how this training benefits our students," says Jim Grieve, director of education.

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.

Overall, this is how Peel board students performed on the most recent grade 9 math test, compared to the provincial average and to last year:

 

	levels 2,3,4			levels 3,4
	Peel 2002/03	Peel 2003/04	Province	Peel 2002/03	Peel 2003/04	Province
Applied	57%	64%	63%	20%	27%	26%
Academic	82%	85%	85%	65%	68%	68%

Other findings from the test are similar to previous years:

• There is no difference between the performance of boys and girls on either the academic or applied test
• Students in both the applied and academic programs who took the test in second semester or at the end of the year in a full-year program performed better than students who took the test in the first semester
• English as a second language and English literacy development learners scored ten per cent higher on the applied mathematics test compared to last year

"It’s important for parents and the public to understand that the EQAO assessments are not standardized tests. They are tests 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—instead, students are scored on how well they perform the required skills expected in that subject and grade," explains Chuck Waterman, superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

The grade 9 math test required students to complete math tasks and problems that varied in complexity, to describe the problem-solving approach they used and to write explanations of their reasoning.

"By analyzing the results of this assessment, we will use the information to inform the types of instructional supports we will offer to schools and teachers," Waterman says. "We will continue to support the instructional strategies recommended by the task force that looked at applied math. In addition, we'll study individual schools that have made significant improvements and share effective strategies with other schools in the Peel board."

Peel schools will send home individual test results in the coming weeks for students who participated in the test. The complete board report and school by school results are available on the Peel board's web site at www.peelschools.org on November 25.

All results in this news release are reported as "all students" formerly referred to as "method 1." The number of students achieving at each level is reported by EQAO as a percentage of all students in the grade whether they took the test or not.

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Media contact: Chuck Waterman, Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction Support Services, 905-890-1010, ext. 2343

Reference: Priya Ramsingh, Communications Officer, (905) 890-1010, ext. 2817

Note to media: see a copy of the complete board results and school by school results or call 905-890-1010, ext. 2809 to request a copy.