Background
The purpose of the EQAO Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is to provide greater confidence in the literacy skills of students graduating with the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). 15,774 TDSB Grade 10 students were eligible to take the OSSLT for the first time in 2017-18. Of these students, 14,309 fully participated in the OSSLT (the other eligible students were deferred until a later administration, or they were absent during the test). Literacy is defined as having the reading and writing skills required to understand reading selections and to communicate through written forms. The OSSLT measures whether or not students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9.
First-Time Eligible Students' Results
In 2017-2018, TDSB results for successful first-time eligible students in Grade 10 stayed the same at 81% compared to 2016-2017. At the same time, the proportion of successful first-time eligible students in the province declined by 2 percentage points from 81% to 79%.
Fully Participating First-Time Eligible Students Who Were Successful
| |
Successful in Both Reading and Writing |
| 2017-2018 |
TDSB |
81% |
| |
Province |
79% |
| 2016-2017 |
TDSB |
81% |
| |
Province |
81% |
| 2015-2016 |
TDSB |
81% |
| |
Province |
81% |
| 2014-2015 |
TDSB |
82% |
| |
Province |
82% |
| 2013-2014 |
TDSB |
82% |
| |
Province |
83% |
School by School Results
Previously Eligible Students' Results
In 2017-2018, 44% of previously eligible TDSB students who fully participated in the OSSLT were successful, a decrease by 1 percentage point from 2016-2017. At the same time, the proportion of successful previously eligible students in the province decreased by 3 percentage points from 49% to 46%.
Fully Participating Previously Eligible Students Who Were Successful
| |
Successful in Both Reading and Writing |
| 2017-2018 |
TDSB |
44% |
| |
Province |
46% |
| 2016-2017 |
TDSB |
45% |
| |
Province |
49% |
| 2015-2016 |
TDSB |
47% |
| |
Province |
49% |
| 2014-2015 |
TDSB |
46% |
| |
Province |
49% |
| 2013-2014 |
TDSB |
48% |
| |
Province |
50% |
School by School Results
Action
TDSB staff review and analyze EQAO results to inform the Board Improvement Plan on Student Achievement that is submitted to the Ministry of Education at the beginning of each school year. Administrators and teachers also analyze the results of their individual schools and develop a School Improvement Plan outlining strategies to improve student achievement.
In addition, the TDSB produces a School Profile for every school. These profiles are used annually to report to parents on each school's EQAO results as well as school plans, programs, services, and the student population. Profiles for each school in the TDSB can be found in the Find Your School area.
Contact Information
- John Malloy, Director of Education, at 416-397-3180
- Kathy Witherow, Associate Director, at 416-397-3069
- Brendan Browne, Executive Superintendent, at 416-393-0497
- Visit the EQAO website at www.eqao.com
For information about Literacy and Mathematics and Numeracy in TDSB schools, click on: