Ottawa Catholic School Board September 25, 2012
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A summary of major Board decisions
Next Board Meeting October 9 7:30 p.m. Boardroom Catholic Education Centre 570 West Hunt Club Road Nepean
For more information, please contact Mardi de Kemp Communications Officer at 613 224-4455, ext. 2326.
EQAO scores continue to improve
Superintendent of Student Success/Elementary, Brenda Wilson, Superintendent of Student Success/ Intermediate and Secondary, Manon Seguin, and Research Officer, Dr. Lauren Figueredo, reported that the Board’s elementary students scored 5–8% higher than the provincial results on the annual assessments that test reading, writing and mathematics at the Grade 3 and 6 levels. Grade 9 students scored 2–4% higher than the provincial results in both math assessments. Board and school improvement plans continue to be developed and special attention will be focused on mathematics. To view complete results, go to the September 25 Board agenda bundle at ocsb.ca/board/administration/boardmeetings, see pages 13-21. The Board’s results have been consistently at or higher than the province over the last five years in grade 3 and 6 reading, writing and mathematics assessments, as well as grade 9 applied and academic mathematics.
Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Mark Mullan said, “We are very pleased with these results. Our focus continues to be ensuring that each school, each student has the tools and teachers they need to be as successful as possible.” “One of our goals is to create the most effective learning environment achievable through continued development of each teacher’s instructional practices. This includes job-embedded training that focuses on each student’s individual needs,” said Julian Hanlon, Director of Education. Almost 8,000 students in grades 3, 6, and 9, wrote the EQAO tests during the 20112012 school year. The assessments measure the reading, writing, and mathematics knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.
Percentage of students at or above the Provincial Standard (Levels 3 and 4) on the EQAO assessments of reading, writing, and mathematics for each of the grades appears below. Grade 3 Grade 6 Grade 9 Ottawa Province Ottawa Province Ottawa Province Catholic Catholic Catholic READING 71 66 80 75 WRITING 83 76 82 74 MATHEMATICS 74 68 64 58 MATHEMATICS 48 44 – APPLIED MATHEMATICS 86 84 - ACADEMIC
Catholic Education Centre 570 West Hunt Club Road, Nepean, Ontario K2G 3R4 Tel: 613 224-2222 Fax: 613 224-5063 www.OttawaCatholicSchools.ca
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Student Success reporting
Manon Seguin, Superintendent of Student Success (Intermediate and Secondary) and Donna Mailloux, Research Officer, reported that the Board’s school teams continue to support students in gaining the necessary credits to graduate. Higher pass rates, higher credit accumulation, fewer numbers of credits missed per student, and a focus on credit intervention have resulted in fewer numbers of credits earned by Credit Recovery. This is a positive trend, indicating more students are being supported effectively. In addition to the Credit Recovery program, the Board’s Student Success initiative continues to focus on supporting students in areas indicated by the data collected during assessment and standardized testing. The continuous improvement in the Board’s achievement results reinforce student success teams’ efforts, while the Board Improvement Plan continues to provide a strategic and integrated approach to ensure success. For highlights of the Indicator Report and the credit recovery/ accumulation figures, go to the September 25 Board agenda bundle at ocsb.ca/board/administration/ board-meetings, see pages 24-25.
New SEAC association member
The Board approved the nomination of Linda Barbetta as the representative from the Learning Disabilities Association – OttawaCarleton (LDAO-C) to the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). Ms. Barbetta is the Executive Director of LDAO-C and has two children at St. Francis Xavier High School.
Board approves school trips
The Board approved school trips and exchanges to allow students to experience the cultural, religious and political differences in other countries. Immaculata High School continues the tradition of serving others when students once again go to the Dominican Republic, February 23-March 2, 2013, hosted by the Grey Sisters. Students from the Immaculata Boys Rugby Team will travel to England, twinning with a school there and participating in rugby games, March 28-April 7, 2013. Outdoor Education students from St. Peter and St. Joseph High Schools will travel for the seventh year to Belize from April 13-20, 2013. All Saints High School students will once more participate in the Dominican Republic Experience to Consuelo, DR, February 22-March 1, 2013. Students from Sacred Heart will do service work in a barrio outside of Manauga, Nicaragua and live with host families during a trip, March 1-8, 2013. Sacred Heart High School students will travel to destinations in Eastern Europe, March 3-12, 2013, to experience different customs and cultures, as well as enhancing personal growth. Students from Sacred Heart High School will participate in “The Camino de Compestela,” a religious hike and pilgrimage through Spain, June 28-July 14, 2013.
