Results of provincial mathematics, language, and literacy tests indicate ongoing struggles for students at local English-language schools under the jurisdiction of the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) and Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO).
The test results for school boards across Ontario were released on Wednesday, December 3, by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO).
EQAO tests were administered to Grade 3, 6, and 9 students for mathematics, and in reading and writing to Grade 3 and 6 students, while Grade 10 students completed the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB)
The UCDSB reported on December 4 that the board saw increases in EQAO scores across all grades and was the only board in the province to record improvements in all categories for the second year in a row.
Director of Education Ron Ferguson said, “Our school board has been focusing on the fundamentals and working hard to get students reading, writing, and doing math at grade level. This back-to-basics approach that our educators have been implementing in the classroom has elevated our students and their learning.”
The following chart outlines overall averages of student success across all tested subjects from the 2022-2023 to 2024-2025 school years.
However, a closer examination of individual schools presents a different picture.
Laggan Public School results show improvements in Grade 3 mathematics, rising from 52 per cent of students meeting or exceeding provincial standards in 2023-2024 to 58 per cent in 2024-2025, as well as Grade 3 writing, which increased from 64 per cent to 69 per cent. Other subjects declined over the same period. Grade 3 reading declined from 88 per cent to 81 per cent, Grade 6 mathematics fell from 44 per cent to 24 per cent, and Grade 6 reading and writing declined from 96 per cent to 76 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively.
Results for all subjects from the 2023-2024 school year were not available from Maxville Public School, with Grade 3 mathematics, reading, and writing also unavailable for 2024-2025. In 2024-2025, 80 per cent of Grade 6 mathematics students met or exceeded provincial standards, compared to 91 per cent in reading and 100 per cent in writing.
At Pleasant Corners Public School near Vankleek Hill, all but one grade-level result declined from 2023-2024, with Grade 6 writing the lone improvement, rising from 86 per cent to 91 per cent. Grade 3 mathematics declined from 94 per cent to 75 per cent, Grade 3 reading skills fell from 97 per cent to 89 per cent, and Grade 3 writing dropped from 90 per cent to 75 per cent. Grade 6 mathematics declined slightly from 55 per cent to 54 per cent, while Grade 6 reading dropped from 90 per cent to 87 per cent.
Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute (VCI) also reported declines, with Grade 9 mathematics dropping from 38 per cent to 35 per cent and the OSSLT success rate falling from 81 per cent to 71 per cent in 2024-2025.
Glengarry District High School in Alexandria reported mixed results, including a decline in Grade 9 mathematics from 68 per cent in 2023-2024 to 59 per cent. The school’s OSSLT success rate, however, increased from 83 per cent to 86 per cent.
Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO)
CDSBEO scores reflected similar challenges to those seen in the public system.
Scores across all tests at St. Jude Catholic School in Vankleek Hill declined compared to 2023-2024 results. Grade 3 mathematics declined sharply from 55 per cent of students meeting or exceeding provincial standards to just 22 per cent in 2024-2025. Grade 3 reading dropped from 55 per cent to 35 per cent, while Grade 3 writing fell from 55 per cent to 22 per cent. Grade 6 mathematics fell from 36 per cent to only 11 per cent, while Grade 6 reading declined from 71 per cent to 60 per cent and Grade 6 writing from 73 per cent to 60 per cent.
St. Finnan’s Catholic School in Alexandria also reported mixed results. Grade 3 mathematics, reading, and writing scores were unavailable for the 2023-2024 school year; however, 2024-2025 results showed 82 per cent in mathematics, 91 per cent in reading, and 82 per cent in writing. Grade 6 reading declined from 100 per cent in 2023-2024 to 83 per cent in 2024-2025, while Grade 6 writing improved from 90 per cent to 100 per cent.
More detailed information is available through the EQAO assessment data tool on its website, https://www.eqao.com/results/.
