EQAO AND OSSLT RESULTS, 2023-2024
EQAO Primary Division (Grades 3) and the Junior Division (Grades 6): Assessments of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics
Background: In May and June of 2024 Students in Grades 3 and 6 participated in the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) Assessments of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. These assessments act as a snapshot to indicate if students met curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. This is the second year of the computer-based adaptive assessment. These assessments contain both multiple choice questions and written components.
Overall student achievement is reported using a four-level scale aligned with the four achievement levels in The Ontario Curriculum and Ontario Student Report Card.
The results are reported for fully participating students achieving Levels 3 and 4 (the provincial standard) on the Grade 3 and 6 assessments.
Table 1: Primary Division (Grade 3)- Percentage of Fully Participating Students at or above Provincial Standard
| Primary Division (Grade 3) | Reading | Writing | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 YRDSB | 75% | 70% | 71% |
| 2023-24 Province | 71% | 64% | 61% |
| 2022-23 YRDSB | 77% | 73% | 71% |
| 2022-23 Province | 73% | 65% | 60% |
| 2021-22 YRDSB | 79% | 73% | 71% |
| 2021-22 Province | 73% | 65% | 59% |
Summary:
- Compared to the provincial results, the percentage of fully participating Grade 3 YRDSB students achieving at or above the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4) in 2023-24 is:
- 4 percentage points higher in Reading (75% YRDSB compared to 71% Province),
- 6 percentage points higher in Writing (70% YRDSB compared to 64% Province) and,
- 10 percentage points higher in Mathematics (71% YRDSB compared to 61% Province).
- Compared to 2022-23, the percentage of fully participating Grade 3 YRDSB students achieving at or above the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4) in 2023-24, decreased 2 percentage points in Reading (77% to 75%), 3 percentage points in Writing (73% to 70%) and stayed the same in Mathematics (71%).
Table 2: Junior Division (Grade 6) - Percentage of Fully Participating Students at or above Provincial Standard
| Primary Division (Grade 3) | Reading | Writing | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 YRDSB | 87% | 88% | 64% |
| 2023-24 Province | 82% | 80% | 50% |
| 2022-23 YRDSB | 88% | 90% | 64% |
| 2022-23 Province | 84% | 84% | 50% |
| 2021-22 YRDSB | 90% | 92% | 62% |
| 2021-22 Province | 85% | 84% | 47% |
Summary:
- Compared to the provincial results, the percentage of fully participating Grade 6 YRDSB students achieving at or above the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4) in 2023-24 is:
- 5 percentage points higher in the YRDSB for Reading (87% YRDSB compared to 82% Province),
- 8 percentage points in Writing (88% YRDSB compared to 80% Province) and
- 14 percentage points in Mathematics (64% YRDSB compared to 50% Province).
- Compared to 2022-23, the percentage of fully participating Grade 6 YRDSB students achieving at or above the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4) in 2023-24, decreased 1 percentage point in Reading (88% to 87%), 2 percentage points in Writing (90% to 88%) and stayed the same in Mathematics (64%).
The EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics tests the math skills students are expected to have learned by the end of the grade 9 mathematics course.
The 2023-2024 school year was the third year of the computer adaptive Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics based on the grade 9 De-Streamed Mathematics curriculum. These computer adaptive assessments differ from previous paper-based assessments used prior to 2021.
Table 3: Grade 9 Mathematics- Percentage of Fully Participating Students at or above Provincial Standard: Board and Province
| Grade 9 Mathematics | Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics |
|---|---|
| 2023-24 YRDSB | 69% |
| 2023-24 Province | 54% |
| 2022-23 YRDSB | 71% |
| 2022-23 Province | 54% |
| 2021-22 YRDSB | 72% |
| 2021-22 Province | 52% |
Summary:
- Compared to the provincial results, the percentage of fully participating Grade 9 YRDSB students achieving at or above the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4) in 2023-24 is 15 percentage points higher in the YRDSB for Mathematics (69% YRDSB compared to 54% Province).
- Compared to 2022-23, the percentage of fully participating YRDSB students achieving at or above the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4) in 2023-24, decreased 2 percentage points in Grade 9 Mathematics (71% to 69%).
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
Background: The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) measures whether students met the provincial standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. Successful completion of the literacy test is one of the requirements to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. This was the third year of the computer adaptive assessment. These computer adaptive assessments differ from previous paper-based assessments used prior to 2021.
Table 4: Fully Participating First-Time Eligible (FTE) and Previously Eligible (PE) Students Who Were Successful on the OSSLT: Board and Province
| OSSLT | First-Time Eligible (FTE) | Previously Eligible (PE) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 YRDSB | 91% | 51% |
| 2023-24 Province | 85% | 52% |
| 2022-23 YRDSB | 93% | 68% |
| 2022-23 Province | 85% | 63% |
| 2021-22 YRDSB | 89% | 91% |
| 2021-22 Province | 82% | 85% |
Note: The 2021-22 previously eligible (PE) cohort comprises all Grade 11 students who missed the chance to take the test during the pandemic. With an extra year of learning, their success rates are higher than those of the first-time eligible (FTE) Grade 10 students. Additionally, these success rates surpass those of this year’s and last year’s cohorts, where the PE group only included students who had previously note yet successful in the OSSLT.
Summary:
- Compared to the provincial results, the percentage of fully participating First-Time Eligible students successful in 2023-24 OSSLT is 6 percentage points higher in the YRDSB (91% YRDSB compared to 85% Province).
- Compared to the 2023-2024 provincial results, the percentage of fully participating Previously Eligible students successful in 2023-24 OSSLT is 1 percentage point lower in the YRDSB (51% YRDSB compared to 52% Province).
- Compared to 2022-23, the percentage of YRDSB fully participating First-Time Eligible Students successful in 2023-24 OSSLT, decreased 2 percentage points (93% to 91%).
- Compared to 2022-23, the percentage of YRDSB fully participating Previously Eligible Students successful in 2023-24 OSSLT, decreased 17 percentage points (68% to 51%).
Action:
YRDSB staff examine EQAO results to guide the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement, Equity, and Well-being, which is submitted to the Ministry of Education at the start of each school year. Additionally, administrators and teachers review their school’s results to create a School Improvement Plan, detailing strategies to enhance student achievement, well-being, and equity.
Notes and Considerations
This is the third year of the new online digitized assessments which differ significantly from assessments prior to the 2021-2022 school year. EQAO has indicated that “A different EQAO assessment model necessitates new baselines for assessment results, meaning that new trendlines were set in 2021-2022”. In other words, the results from 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 should not be compared to previous assessment years as these results are not comparable. Please consider:
- In response to the pandemic, students in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years did not participate in any of the EQAO assessments. Prior to 2019, all EQAO assessments were written using paper-and-pencil assessments.
- Starting in 2021-2022, students in all assessments did so using online computer based adaptive assessments. These new assessments have different cognitive loads and the adaptive nature of the assessments means that students may have different experiences.
- The new adaptive assessments require students to have access to computer devices for the assessment. This approach also provided schools a larger window during which students could participate. Consequently, some students have engaged in the assessment several weeks apart.
- The province introduced a new Elementary Mathematics Curriculum in 2020-2021 and used this curriculum to anchor assessments in the Grade 3 and 6 Mathematics assessments.
- The province introduced a new Grade 9 De-streamed Mathematics Curriculum for Grade 9 students in 2021-2022 and used this curriculum for the Grade 9 Mathematics Assessment.
- Prior to 2020, students in Grade 9 mathematics either participated in the Grade 9 EQAO Academic Mathematics Assessment or the Grade 9 EQAO Applied Mathematics Assessment depending on their Grade 9 Course. With the implementation of the new Mathematics curriculum, all students in the Grade 9 De-streamed Mathematics course participated in the same EQAO Assessment.
EQAO’s results provides Boards, schools and families with information about how our schools are supporting students.
Highlights of the Provincial Results
- Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary Division (Grade 3)
- Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Junior Division (Grade 6)
- Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
- Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
Board and School Results
EQAO’s new Interactive EQAO Dashboard provides access to data on students’ EQAO achievement and learning perceptions from across the province, board and schools.