Student reports are now being sent home to parents to let them know how their children performed in literacy and numeracy assessments this spring.
Three common assessments were conducted across the province in May and June to determine how well students were doing in reading and writing by the end of Grade 3, in reading by the end of Grade 6 and in math by the end of Grade 9.
The primary literacy assessment was taken by 1,462 Grade 3 students in 51 schools. It included two components, reading comprehension and writing skills.
Results of the reading component show that 80 per cent of students in English programs were experiencing or approaching success in reading and 20 per cent were experiencing difficulty; 75 per cent of French Immersion students were experiencing or approaching success and 25 per cent were experiencing difficulty; and 69 per cent of French first language students were experiencing or approaching success while 31 per cent were experiencing difficulty.
The average reading comprehension score among students in English programs was 73 per cent. It was 75 per cent in French Immersion and 67 per cent in French first language programs.
In the writing component, 67 per cent of students met the standard for transactional writing and 56 per cent met the standard for personal expressive writing.
In the Grade 6 assessment of reading comprehension, the average mark was 81 per cent. Of the 1,553 students who participated, 80 per cent were experiencing or approaching success in reading and 20 per cent were experiencing difficulty.
Almost 2,000 Grade 9 students in English, French Immersion and French first language programs took part in the intermediate math assessment. The average overall mark was 59 per cent. Following are the average marks in each of the seven key areas of math that students were tested on: number sense, 52 per cent; operation sense, 55 per cent; patterns and relations, 60 per cent; measurement, 61 per cent; geometry, 69 per cent; data management, 62 per cent; and probability, 56 per cent.
This is the second year that common assessments were done in Prince Edward Island in primary literacy and intermediate math. The elementary literacy assessment was introduced for the first time this year.
Compared to last year’s results, Grade 3 reading scores are up about 10 per cent, writing is down about 10 per cent, and math scores are about the same.
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Gerard Greenan said the assessments provide parents and the school system with information to help students improve.
“How well a student is reading at the end of Grade 3 is one of the best indicators we have of how well a student will do throughout the school years,” said the minister. “When we can identify which students are having difficulty at this point, and how many students need more help, we are in a much better position to help them succeed.”
Over the next few months teachers will come together to look more closely at the assessment results and identify ways to improve student learning.
Bill Whelan, president of the PEI Home and School Federation encourages parents to watch for the reports. “This is a good opportunity for parents to talk to their children about how school is going, and to the teacher about how the child’s learning may be further supported at home and at school.”
A more comprehensive analysis of provincial, board and school results will be available later this fall.