Students with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board have exceeded Ontario averages in the majority of standardized provincial assessments, the board announced today.

“Despite the fact that we are coming out of two years of disruptions caused by the pandemic, we were very pleased to see that our students surpassed provincial averages in seven of eight categories,” Executive Superintendent of Student Achievement Melissa Farrand said of the latest assessment results released today by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). “This is a testament to the dedication of our teachers and support staff, and the resilience of our students.”

WECDSB students exceeded provincial averages in the primary and junior assessments of reading, writing and mathematics, as well as in Grade 9 mathematics. The only category where they were below average was in the Ontario Secondary Student Literacy Test, which is typically written by eligible Grade 10 students. 

Exceeding provincial averages in most categories is a trend that dates back at least five years for WECDSB students, however Farrand said it’s important to not compare the latest results with those from 2018-19, the last time students participated in the assessments.

“Much has changed since then,” Farrand said. “The assessments have been modernized to make them more equitable for all students, and the provincial government introduced a new mathematics curriculum and de-streamed Grade 9, so there are no longer separate assessments for applied and academic mathematics. We really have to look at these latest results as the new baseline. We’ll continue to analyze this data set so that we can find new ways to support our students so they can continue to meet and exceed expectations.”