Bluewater board's math and literacy results trail province

Students at Bluewater District School Board schools scored below provincial averages in math and literacy last school year, according to results presented at the board's Oct. 20 meeting.

The board's public schools in the Chatsworth area include Sullivan Community School and Holland-Chatsworth Central School. The board's summary does not give results for individual schools.

Math

In Grade 3, 59 per cent of Bluewater students met the provincial standard in math, down from 62 per cent, compared with 65 per cent across Ontario, the board said.

In Grade 6, 41 per cent met the standard, up from 39 per cent, compared with 52 per cent provincially.

In Grade 9, 48 per cent met the standard in math, compared with 59 per cent provincially. The board identified Grade 9 math as a key area of concern, noting that 22.6 per cent of students in the MTH1W course earned marks below 60 per cent.

Reading, writing and literacy

In Grade 3, 68 per cent met the standard in reading and 57 per cent in writing, compared with 75 and 67 per cent provincially. In Grade 6, 80 per cent met the standard in reading and 79 per cent in writing, compared with 86 and 85 per cent.

The success rate on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test for first-time eligible students fell to 79 per cent from 82 per cent, compared with 86 per cent provincially.

Graduation and Indigenous students

For the 2023-24 reporting year, the most recent ministry-validated data, the board's five-year graduation rate was 85.2 per cent, compared with 89.5 per cent provincially. Its four-year rate rose to 72.5 per cent from 70.1 per cent in 2021-22.

In Grade 10, the board reported that 34.5 per cent of course records for Indigenous students were below 60 per cent, compared with 14.0 per cent for non-Indigenous students, a gap of 20.5 percentage points. The board said this "highlights the importance of further examining barriers and strengthening support for Indigenous learners."

A September snapshot found 526 of 5,290 secondary students, about one in 10, need additional support with credit accumulation and graduation readiness, the board said.

The math plan

The board said math remains its highest instructional priority. Its 2026-27 Mathematics Achievement Action Plan is built around three Ministry of Education priorities: carrying out the curriculum faithfully through evidence-informed assessment and teaching, ongoing professional learning for educators and administrators, and using achievement, attendance and other data to understand each math learner.

Under the plan, teachers will keep access to MathUp Classroom (kindergarten to Grade 9) and Knowledgehook Premium (kindergarten to Grade 10). Instructional coaching will continue in ministry-identified priority schools for grades 3 and 6, principals will take part in monthly math leadership learning, and schools flagged through EQAO trends and other data will get support from school-based math facilitators.

The board said progress will be reviewed and reported throughout the school year.

The full highlights are on the board's website.