November 4th, 2022

The Waterloo Region District School Board’s (WRDSB) 2021-2022 assessment results for reading, writing and mathematics show that students are performing at similar levels to their peers across the province, and in some cases surpassing provincial averages, according to results released by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO).

Highlights

  • WRDSB students performed at or above the provincial average in Grade 6 reading, writing and mathematics.
  • Grade 10 students who were successful in taking the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) for the first time surpassed the provincial average.
  • Results for reading, writing and mathematics in Grade 3 and mathematics in Grade 9, as well as results for previously-eligible students taking the OSSLT were below the provincial averages.

To find the full report of the WRDSB’s results, please visit the EQAO website.

“While we know we have work to do, we are really proud of what students and staff have accomplished during these unprecedented times,” said jeewan chanicka, Director of Education at the WRDSB. “These results help us better understand where WRDSB students currently are, and some of the work we must undertake to help students catch up. We remain committed to improving the achievement and well-being of all our students and look forward to further unpacking this data alongside other relevant information with the goal of best-preparing students for the world they are going into.”

Changes to the EQAO Assessment

Last year was the first time students participated in the EQAO assessments since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of changes have occurred since the last EQAO assessment:

  • The introduction of a new elementary mathematics curriculum and a new destreamed secondary curriculum
  • A new EQAO assessment framework
  • A new mode of delivery of the EQAO assessment

The results from 2021-2022 therefore establish a new baseline from which progress can be monitored in the coming years.

Supports for Students

Supports for students will be informed by the following strategies and approaches:

Across the province, the EQAO notes, “Ontario’s student outcomes are similar to those of other jurisdictions, where the pandemic has had a more significant impact on mathematics than on literary achievement.”