From the graph below, you can see that in grade 6, Clairlea is pretty close to average by most measures. You can find more detailed numbers in the school’s report – see page 10 and 11 for grade 6.
Grade 3 paints a bit of a different picture. It’s important to view these results in context, and here’s what Mr. Frenette told me.
Since only the English stream does the reading and writing tests, the total number of participants is quite low – just 23 students in grade 3 reading and writing. That means that a small number of children having difficulty can greatly affect the numbers. As you can see, Clairlea’s grade 3 mathematics score (with 53 students participating) is closer to the provincial average, though still below it.
While the school takes the results seriously and is acting on them, Mr. Frenette cautions against becoming overly concerned. He emphasizes that the EQAO test is merely a snapshot, taken at a single point in time, and that it is one of many ways of measuring student achievement at Clairlea.
In addition to the low participant numbers, Mr. Frenette acknowledges that there were certain factors last year and the previous year that may have resulted in lower scores in 2008-09. In my next post, I’ll tell you about the school’s action plan to ensure that all students at Clairlea are able to learn successfully.
“I have all the confidence in the world in our students,” Mr. Frenette concludes. “They are in good hands. Our job is to give them hope, and the resources they need to succeed.”
In the next post: Clairlea's action plan.
