Grade 9 EQAO results show math gains at Waterloo Catholic board
Waterloo Region District School Board math results see no change
Grade nine students in Waterloo's Catholic District School Board are making gains in math, according to Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) standardized test results released Wednesday.
Students studying applied math in the WCDSB have seen significant improvement with 59 per cent of grade nine students meeting or exceeding the provincial standards.
That's a 17.4 percentage point increase over last year's results. It is also 12 percentage points above the provincial average.
"This year we do have much to celebrate," said Maria Ivankovic, a superintendent of learning with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.
"We're continuing to have math as a focus and are working alongside teachers and ensuring a balance of skill and problem solving are part of the math repertoire, strategies, and skills in all of our classrooms, " said Ivankovic.
Catholic high school students studying academic math also saw an improvement, with 83 per cent of students performing at or above the provincial standard in grade nine, 4.4 percentage points above last year's results.
Ivankovic said the school board focused on preparing students for the test, easing stress and anxiety by teaching test-taking skills.
"There was a mock test at every secondary school. There was a specific focus on multiple choice questions and answering those questions," said Ivankovic.
Public board math scores hold steady
By comparison, grade nine students in the public school board saw no improvements, with 44 per cent of applied math students meeting the provincial standard, matching the previous year's results
Waterloo Region District School Board grade nine academic math scores dropped one percentage point from 84 per cent in 2013 to 83 per cent in 2014.