Grade 3 and 6 testingCatholic bd. hitting provincial average while public bd. lags
by Bruce Haire

The Simcoe-Muskoka District Catholic School Board ended up just about right on the provincial in the annual Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) testing for Grade 3 and six students while the Simcoe County District School Board continues to lag.

Public board officials saw good news in the results.

"This board continues to focus on literacy and numeracy as its top priority," says Board Chair Diane Bell. "While the EQAO results are only one source of information, they do provide data that can be used in school and board improvement plans. Student success is a direct result of our schools' strategies, our teachers' concerted efforts, and the support of parents and communities."

Director of Education Gord Campbell agrees that the data plays a vital role in school planning. "Combined with leadership and focused professional development, the Simcoe County District School Board uses data to create programs and interventions that help students find success," he says. "Over the course of the past year, we've dramatically

improved how we collect and use data. This will ultimately help us ensure that by 2008, 75% of students reach the provincial standard of a 'B' (Level 3) on provincewide reading, writing and math tests."Further information and provincial results are available on the EQAO web site at www.eqao.com.