Applied math isn’t fazing English Catholic secondary students, who are scoring 14% higher than their public school peers, and 12% more than provincial counterparts, making Ottawans among the highest achievers in Ontario.
So says a report with Grade 9 scores released by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) on Wednesday.
“We are very pleased with this year’s scores and will move forward with special attention to our applied mathematics results,” said Ottawa Catholic School Board director of education Julian Hanlon.
Approximately 59% of students from the OCSB are meeting or beating the standard by 12% for applied math, while 90% of students in academic math have a 5% edge provincially.
Applied courses are more “hands-on,” however, “the curriculum expectations are the same,” said superintendent of student success Manon Seguin.
Compared to last year, the board’s applied math scores increased 4%, and the academic math score also rose 2%.
“The latest results will be the focal point for improvement to ensure greater success of each and every student,” said chairperson of the board of trustees Ted Hurley.
Board officials said they’re ensuring a wide range of professional development opportunities focused on math, digging deeper into data, determining the challenges facing individual students, and creating learning communities among teachers and staff.
In the public system, 45% of applied math students from the Ottawa Carleton District School Board met or exceeded standards, faring better in academic math with 87% of students meeting criteria.
“The one area that is a concern to us, and has been a concern for the past couple of years is the area of junior mathematics, and mathematics relative to literacy,” said OCDSB superintendent of curriculum Pino Buffone.
The board has seen improvement, he said, and its arsenal includes utilizing a variety of teaching methods, collaborative and individual learning, problem-solving, and using resources thoughtfully.
Literacy skills among Grade 10 students in both boards were above provincial figures, with the public board scoring 87% and Catholic system scoring 85%, versus 83% overall.
Visit eqao.com to see results for individual schools.
Twitter: @kellyroche6
ADDING IT UP
Gr. 9 Math: APPLIED ACADEMIC
Ottawa Catholic School Board 59 90
Ottawa-Carleton District Board 45 87
Province-wide 47 85
Source: Education Quality and Accountability Office
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/09/24/ottawa-catholic-high-school-students-excel-in-applied-math
Kelly Roche - Storyteller 