The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has released the results of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy test (OSSLT) written by Ontario students in April. A total of 2006 first time eligible students in the Grand Erie District School Board wrote the literacy test this year and 76 per cent met the standards for reading and writing that The Ontario Curriculum expects them to have acquired by the end of Grade 9. This represents an increase of one per cent decrease since the last administration of the test. The provincial success rate on this administration is 84 per cent.

 

 “We are pleased that our success rate is stable for this administration of the OSSLT.  Our schools continue to work with both first-time and previously-eligible students to support their learning in literacy skills.  As part of our data-based learning agenda, we will use the information provided in EQAO’s reports to plan and implement programs to support teachers and students in improving their reading and writing skills.  In the coming year, schools will participate in special success initiatives in which deeper analysis of these results and other data will help identify high-yield strategies for improvement.  Additional analysis of the OSSLT data will occur along with interpretation of the results of EQAO’s Assessment of Grade 9 Mathematics, and the Primary and Junior EQAO assessments as well,” said Andy Nesbitt, Superintendent of Education. 

 Key observations:

• 76 per cent of students who wrote the test for the first time were successful and received the literacy credential. Last Year, 75 per cent were successful
• 48 per cent of the students who were writing the test for a second or third time were successful and received the literacy credential. Last year, 48 per cent were also successful
• Many students achieve the literacy diploma requirement through the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course, offered only to students who have been unsuccessful on the OSSLT at least once.  This course provides significant remediation of literacy skills for students who need additional support. In 2009-1010, 14% of previously-eligible students were enrolled in the OSSLC.
• Six schools showed improvement among first time writers; seven schools had a higher success rate for previously eligible students over last year’s results.

Students in all publicly funded schools in Ontario, including 15 schools in Grand Erie, wrote this year’s test, which is one of 32 requirements for students working toward an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

First Time Eligible Students

This table presents information on student performance on the 2006-2010 administrations of the OSSLT. Prior years’ tests were in a different format, written over two half-days during the first semester.

Please note, the results for Sprucedale and GELA are not shown due to confidentiality reporting rules in individual school results, but are part of the overall GEDSB results. For provincial results, please visit the EQAO website at www.eqao.com.