June 15, 2011                                                                                         

2011 OSSLT Results  

The District School Board of Niagara is committed to supporting the learning needs of all students. To identify those needs, and target programs and resources, the Board uses a variety of tools and assessments, including data gathered from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).

This year, 93% of eligible DSBN students wrote the assessment for the first time. Of those 2,884 students, 78% met or exceeded the provincial standard on the yearly assessment. This represents a 4% decrease from last year’s results.

“While we note that this year’s results have declined relative to previous years, it is important to keep in mind that the DSBN’s results over the past four years reveal a pattern of strong student performance on the OSSLT assessment. When the EQAO releases its comprehensive report, we will perform a thorough analysis of the results and plan accordingly to best support student learning,” says Carol Germyn, Superintendent of School Support Services.

Included in this year’s results, 12 DSBN high schools had success rates of 80% or above, and three schools show success rates of 90% and above.

DSBN Director of Education Warren Hoshizaki says the OSSLT yields important information about overall trends, areas of strength and areas for improvement. However, he also notes that “each student is unique and enters the classroom with their own skills and readiness to learn. Our teachers and principals work diligently to tailor specific supports, resources and programs designed to best meet the needs of each individual student to help them become successful in school,” says Hoshizaki.

DSBN Chair Kevin Maves says the OSSLT assessment is one tool of many that the DSBN uses to gauge student learning. “These results should be considered along with other forms of information, such as classroom work, teacher observations, regular progress checks and course culminating activities. This combination of assessment data gives us a clearer picture of student learning and allows us to build on the plan we have in place to support student success,” says Maves.

Students wrote the assessment, which provides a snapshot of students’ skills in reading, writing and communicating according to the Ontario Curriculum Standards, in March. To be successful on the test, students must meet the provincial standard, which is measured as Level 3 on a four-point scale.

Successful completion of the assessment or of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course is one of the 32 requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. 

For additional information about the OSSLT, please visit the EQAO website.

2011 OSSLT Detailed Results