Innovative strategies credited with improvement

EQAO test scores for grades 3, 6 and 9 students at the Peel board have risen as much as eight per cent over last year.

"As a board, we're very pleased with these results, and we know the tremendous effort it takes to climb by several percentage points when you are already at or above the provincial average", says Jim Grieve, director of education. "This success is absolutely a credit to our skilled staff, supported by involved parents and their unwavering focus on helping students achieve to the best of their ability. We took a dramatically different approach to literacy and numeracy success in our board—an approach that meant a huge shift in what we do, and don't do, as an organization.

"Our amazing Peel teaching and support staff have focused on using transformational teaching practices that we developed to help our children strengthen their reading, writing and mathematical skills, and these results speak volumes about the success of their efforts. Every single person in the Peel board shares in the pride of this accomplishment—and the enormous benefit to our children."

Overall, grade 3 students scored eight per cent higher in reading, seven per cent higher in writing and five per cent higher in math when compared to last year.

Grade 6 students improved by two per cent in reading, three per cent in writing and three per cent in math from last year.

Students in grade 9 scored nine per cent higher in applied math and three per cent higher in academic math than last year.

"Over the past year, we developed a whole board focus on helping students achieve higher scores in EQAO by putting together an innovative strategy called transformational practices", says Chuck Waterman, superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

"Under this action plan, specially trained teams analyzed schools that had consistent EQAO scores despite challenges such as large numbers of ESL or special education students. These practices were shared with the rest of the Peel board schools. We know educators at these schools are using many effective strategies, and we wanted to do a better job of sharing and implementing the ones that will have the greatest impact. It's clear that this approach is working and has had a significant effect on the scores," Waterman explains.

The first step of the plan included gathering teaching strategies at schools that were making the biggest difference in boosting student achievement. Next, these transformational practices were packaged in a way that all schools could easily implement. Every elementary teacher was trained in their school about how to use the practices. In order to keep teachers focussed on working with their students in the classroom, professional development activities were site based.

Secondary transformational practices were introduced this fall to prepare students for the grade 9 math test and the grade 10 literacy test. Transformational practices will continue to be the focus for the Peel board in 2006-07 to work towards meeting the provincial target of 75 per cent of students achieving at level 3 or higher by 2008.

The transformational practices that were included were:

• helping students to determine important ideas in what they read
• using graphic organizers and frameworks such as charts, diagrams and timelines
• using manipulatives such as cube-a-links and patterned blocks as thinking tools in mathematics
• vocabulary development
• explicitly teaching students test-taking skills

Overall, here is how grade 3 students performed:

levels 2, 3, 4 levels 3, 4
2005-06 2005-06 2004-05 2005-06 2005-06 2004-05
Peel board Province Peel board Peel board Province Peel board
reading 89% 86% 86% 65% 62% 57%
writing 96% 93% 96% 70% 64% 63%
math 94% 91% 93% 72% 68% 67%

Overall, this is how grade 6 students performed:

levels 2, 3, 4 levels 3, 4
2005-06 2005-06 2004-05 2005-06 2005-06 2004-05
Peel board Province Peel board Peel board Province Peel board
reading 89% 88% 89% 64% 64% 62%
writing 95% 92% 95% 64% 61% 61%
math 90% 88% 90% 62% 61% 59%

Overall, this is how grade 9 students performed:

levels 2,3,4 levels 3,4
2005-06 2005-06 2004-05 2005-06 2005-06 2004-05
Peel board Province Peel board Peel board Province Peel board
Applied 69% 69% 62% 33% 35% 24%
Academic 88% 88% 86% 70% 71% 67%

The Peel board serves over 146,000 students in kindergarten to grade 12. Operating 226 schools in the municipalities of Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga, the Peel board is the largest employer in Peel. For more information, visit the board's new website at www.peelschools.org.

EQAO is an independent agency operating within a framework set by the provincial government. EQAO is responsible for all aspects of testing including designing, developing, administering and marketing the test, reporting the results and making recommendations for school and system improvement based on the test results. Staff at each school are responsible for organizing the test, preparing students and providing the necessary support after the test.