Background
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) Assessments of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics were administered to all students in Grades 3 and 6 during Spring 2018. The assessments measure how well students have met the provincial expectations in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8. Each assessment covers the knowledge and skills that students are expected to have acquired by the end of the grade being assessed. These assessments contain questions that require written responses as well as multiple-choice questions.
Overall student performance is reported using a four-level scale that is consistent with the four levels in The Ontario Curriculum and is aligned with levels on the Ontario Student Report Card.
- Level 4: The student has demonstrated the required knowledge and skills. Achievement surpasses the provincial standard.
- Level 3: The student has demonstrated most of the required knowledge and skills. Achievement is at the provincial standard.
- Level 2: The student has demonstrated some of the required knowledge and skills. Achievement approaches the provincial standard.
- Level 1: The student has demonstrated some of the required knowledge and skills in limited ways. Achievement falls much below the provincial standard.
Summary results are reported using two methods:
All Students (Method 1) includes all students in the grade. In addition to the percentage of students at each of the four levels, percentages are reported for exempt, no data, and not enough evidence for Level 1. "No data" is used for students who did not have a result due to absence or other reasons. "Not enough evidence for Level 1" is used when students did not demonstrate enough evidence of knowledge and understanding to be assigned Level 1. "Exempt" is used for students who were formally exempted from participation in one or more components of the assessment.
Participating Students (Method 2) includes students who actually took part in the assessment and produced at least some work that could be scored. Students are excluded from these calculations if they were exempted or had no data.
Primary Division Results (Grade 3)
Over the past five years (2013-14 to 2017-18), the percentage of Grade 3 students who performed at or above the provincial standard (Levels 3 and 4), increased by 4 percentage points in Reading (71% to 75%), decreased by 6 percentage points in Writing (80% to 74%), and decreased by 9 percentage points in Mathematics (71% to 62%).