School board pleased with literacy results

News Release
RRDSB

(June 13, 2007) - The Rainy River District School Board’s results for the 2007 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) indicate that the district’s students continue to perform well in the areas of reading and writing. Of the 248 Grade 10 students who wrote the test for the first time in March 2007, 88% of students passed both components of the test. This rate maintains the record-high success rate achieved last year and marks an 18% increase over the past five years. As well, in comparison to the Provincial success rate of 84%, the Board’s results are 4% higher.
Also noteworthy is the Board’s drop in deferral rate while sustaining this excellent success rate. This year, only 7% of students were deferred, a decrease of 5% from the previous year.
The OSSLT, introduced in 2002, measures whether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects to the end of Grade 9, according to the expectations set out in The Ontario Curriculum. Successful completion of the OSSLT is one of the 32 requirements to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Students who are unsuccessful on the test in Grade 10 can take the test again the next school year or fulfill the diploma requirement by enrolling in and successfully completing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course. Of the 106 Rainy River District School Board students who had previously attempted the test, 59% of students successfully achieved this diploma requirement, through the writing of the test or the completion Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course.
“These excellent results are a testament to the hard work done by the literacy teams and teachers in each of our secondary schools. Our steady improvement and achievement above the provincial average is the result of comprehensive planned preparation of our students to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. We are proud of the accomplishment of our students on this extremely high-stakes test,” said Jack McMaster, Director of Education.
The provincial results and further information are available on the EQAO web site, at www.eqao.com.