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On
Thursday, March 27, 2008
, all Grade 10 students in the
Province
of
Ontario
, including all Grade 10 students in
Sudbury
, will write the Ontario Secondary School
Literacy Test (OSSLT). The OSSLT is a graduation requirement administered
by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). The test
assesses the reading and writing skills that students are expected to have
acquired in all subjects by the end of Grade 9, as outlined in The Ontario
Curriculum.
This test is somewhat
different from the other “Provincial Tests” that students write in
Grades 3 and 6. It is also not quite the same as the mathematics test that
is administered in Grade 9. The big difference is that this test
“counts” and is a requirement for graduation from Grade 12. Students
who do not pass this test must either rewrite the test at some later date
of take a special course that will take the place of the test.
There are only two results that can be obtained on the Grade 10
Literacy Test – Successful or Unsuccessful. The test is not graded, so
we do not know the degree of success of the students.
The Ministry of Education defines literacy as “the ability to use
language and images in rich and varied forms to read, write, listen, view,
represent, and think critically about ideas. It involves the capacity to
access, manage, and evaluate information; to think imaginatively and
analytically; and to communicate thoughts and ideas effectively. Literacy
includes critical thinking and reasoning to solve problems and make
decisions related to issues of fairness, equity, and social justice.
Literacy connects individuals and communities and is an essential tool for
personal growth and active participation in a cohesive, democratic
society.”
In March 2007, a total of 79%
of all of the students in Grade 10 across the
Province
of
Ontario
successfully completed the test. This means
that in any given year, over 20% of all of the students in Grade 10, for
whatever reason, will be required to take the test another time prior to
graduation or take part in a literacy improvement program in order to meet
the minimum standards.
While this test is an
assessment of the literacy skills that have been developed by students
over their entire lifetime, it is one for which some advance preparation
can be done at home. If you go to the web site at www.eqao.com
you will be able to find a “Getting Ready Guide” as well as some
sample tests that will be beneficial in preparing you for
March 27, 2008
. Knowing what the test will look like will
take away a great deal of uncertainty and reduce the anxiety level of a
student who is about to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test.
If
you have a child who is in Grade 10 this year, it would be a good idea to
check out the web site and do a little bit of “coaching” with your
child. Remember, this is the Provincial test that “counts for
something”. It is not just testing the system. It is required for
graduation.
If you are into
statistics it is worth your while to visit the results section of the EQAO
web site. There you will feel as if you have entered “statistics
heaven” where you will be open to any number of interpretations as to
the success rate of school boards across the province.
Taking the very
simplest of data for our local boards, where we consider “all” of the
students enrolled in Grade 10, whether they participated in the test, were
absent, or were otherwise excused, we come up with results that range from
a low of 59% for the school board with the lowest success rate to a high
of 80% for the board with the best success rate.
Therefore, according to
past performance, we can expect that approximately 30% of all of the Grade
10 students in the Greater Sudbury Area may not be successful on the
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test this year, thus placing their
graduation from high school in jeopardy.
What all this means is
that the Grade 10 Literacy Test is something that all students and parents
should be taking seriously. It is something that you should and can
prepare for, so you should spend some time examining the practice tests
and refining some of the skills that will be tested on March 27.
For parents of children who have not yet reached Grade 10, keep in
mind that experts point out that when it comes to literacy, “the earlier
the better” is the rule to follow. For example simple things like
reading and telling stories to a child at 18 months are powerful stimuli
for brain development in the early years. Reading to children more than
once a day has a substantial positive impact on their future academic
skills. In addition, research indicates children with early exposure to
books and reading are better at performing mathematical tasks.
Children aged 2 to 3
who are read to several times a day do substantially better in
kindergarten at the age of 4 and 5 than youngsters who are read to only a
few times a week or less. Therefore, since this is a time of year when
parents are about to register their children in Junior Kindergarten, it is
also a time when you can begin your own reading program to get him/her
ready for school in the fall and establish a strong foundation in
literacy.
For a child, the more
time spent with a parent reading aloud increases his or her level of
attachment, enhances a sense of security, and imparts the knowledge that
their parent feels they are worthwhile people with whom to spend time.
Having a parent or other caring person read aloud with their children also
helps children learn listening skills, vocabulary and language skills, as
well as develop imagination and creativity.
Some experts say that
for 80 per cent of children, simple immersion in reading and books will
lead to real, independent reading by school age. And, even though
eighty-eight per cent of children aged 4 to 9 have a positive attitude
about learning and look forward to school, parents should pay careful
attention to three potential reading slump times that can hinder a child's
reading development: when a child enters kindergarten; at grade 4; and
when a child enters high school.
TODAY is as good a time
as any to begin a whole new approach to family literacy. Set aside a
certain time of the day when the whole family will turn off the
televisions, computers and cell phones. Let calls go to the answering
machine. Immerse yourself and all other members of the family into
reading. It doesn’t matter what you read; just read. Literacy is
important – for everyone in the family!
If you
have any further questions or concerns about the Ontario Secondary School
Literacy Test that will be administered to your Grade 10 child on
March 27, 2008
, you should contact your child’s school.
Until the next time,
this is INSIDE EDUCATION…
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