Media Release
September 17, 2008

The Durham District School Board today released the school-by-school results of the Grade nine Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) Assessment of Mathematics, 2007-2008. In the Durham District School Board (DDSB), a total of 3,825 academic students and 1,639 applied students at 19 schools participated in the assessment.

Across the DDSB, 93 per cent of applied students who participated in the assessment achieved a passable score while 99 per cent of students in the academic program achieved a passable score. These results are tabulated to reflect the achievement of all participating students, which excludes those who were exempted and for whom there is no data. Across the province, 92 per cent of applied and 99 per cent of academic students achieved a passable score.

Thirty-six per cent of students in the applied program who participated in the assessment achieved a score at level three or four. The provincial result is 34 per cent. Among students in the academic program, 68 per cent achieved a score of level three or four. The provincial result using this method is 75 per cent. The Ontario curriculum identifies level one as a passable level of achievement and is equivalent to a score of 50-59 per cent. Level two is described as a level of achievement approaching the provincial standard and is equivalent to a score of 60-69 per cent. Achievement at level three is equivalent of a score of 70-79 per cent and level four is 80-100 per cent.

"Durham District School Board students continue to achieve at consistent levels on the assessment and keep pace with the provincial results," says Luigia Ayotte, superintendent of education/program services, Durham District School Board. "We congratulate the students on their results and staff on their dedication to meaningful assessment methods and teaching strategies that help to improve student achievement.

"The Board provides ongoing professional development and resources to all schools, which focus on improving student achievement in literacy and numeracy. To support schools in achieving rigorous provincial academic standards the Durham District School Board works with school teams to link meaningful data and assessment to instruction. Schools take a major leadership role in being accountable for the development and implementation of their own improvement plans, which are linked to Durham Directions and to the Board's strategic improvement plan.

All parents will receive an Individual Student Report about their child's results from this year's assessment. The assessment is based on the Grade nine expectations in the provincial curriculum and is administered to students enrolled in applied or academic programs across the province. This assessment was administered in January 2008 to students in first-semester math courses and in June 2008 to students in second-semester. All information is current as of September 17, 2008.

The next Grade nine Assessment of Mathematics conducted by EQAO will take place between January 8, 2009 and January 23, 2009; then between June 4 and June 19, 2009. Please see the attached chart or for school-by-school results.

More detailed information regarding Board and school-by-school results can be found at www.durham.edu.on.ca or on the EQAO site www.eqao.com.

The Durham District School Board is responsible for public education in the rural settings of Uxbridge, Brock and Scugog Townships and the urban settings of Ajax, Whitby, Pickering and Oshawa. The Board employs more than 7,000 teaching and educational services staff. With 133 elementary and secondary schools and learning centres, the Board accommodates more than 70,740 regular day students and thousands more who take advantage of a wide variety of continuing education and adult credit courses. More information can be found on the Board's Website at www.durham.edu.on.ca.

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For more information, please contact:
Luigia Ayotte
Superintendent of Education/Program Services,
Durham District School Board
phone: 905-666-6356
email: ayotte_luigia@durham.edu.on.ca
Visit us at www.durham.edu.on.ca