Reading and Writing Test Results Released

Most Nova Scotia 13-and 16-year-olds read and write as well as their classmates across Canada, according to national test results released in Toronto today. In fact, 16-year-old anglophone students in Nova Scotia scored significantly above the Canadian average in writing.

The tests are part of the national School Achievement Indicators Program, involving 13-and 16-year-olds in reading and writing, mathematics and science. This is the second round of reading and writing tests, allowing provinces to compare results over time as well as across Canada.

"The most important thing about testing is how we use the results to improve what happens in the classroom," Education and Culture Minister Wayne Gaudet said. "We will continue to invest in education, continue to work with school boards and teachers, and continue to measure our results so we can be confident that all of our students are given every opportunity to succeed."

Test results are reported separately for reading and writing and for 13-and 16-year-olds. Some provinces, including Nova Scotia, report separate results for anglophone and francophone students.

Anglophone students scored most strongly in writing -- significantly above the national average at age 16 and at the average at 13. In reading, 16-year-olds are at the Canadian average, and below the average at 13. While results at 13 require study, it is encouraging that students catch up to the national average before graduating.

Results have generally remained the same since the first reading and writing tests in 1994, with two exceptions: in writing, 16-year-olds improved significantly, and in reading, 13-year-olds are down in Nova Scotia, consistent with a trend across Canada.

Like most other provinces with a minority francophone population, francophone students in Nova Scotia score below the national average in reading and writing at both ages. This is the first time Nova Scotia has reported francophone reading and writing results separately, giving the province baseline scores to track progress in the next round of testing. This is also in contrast to the above-average performance of Nova Scotia francophone students in last year's national mathematics test. Mr. Gaudet said department staff are taking a close look at these results with staff of le Conseil scolaire acadien provincial.

"We created a provincial Acadian school board in 1996, and more recently, a French First Language Program Division within the department, to develop and strengthen our French first-language programs. Le Conseil is now working hard to develop and deliver a high-quality, homogeneous program," said Mr. Gaudet. "We expect to see the results of their effort in future."

As well, Nova Scotia is the pioneer in the re-development of Reading Recovery in the French language, to be used worldwide. Reading Recovery is an early intervention program, now offered in English schools, that helps Grade 1 children with reading and writing difficulties get back on track early. Last year in Nova Scotia, the program had a success rate of more than 80 per cent.

Le Conseil's first teacher leader, GisŠle Bourque, has now been trained and will work with French first-language teachers in Reading Recovery provincewide.

A new French language arts program is also being introduced in schools. This is part of an Atlantic-wide initiative, including a collection of resources designed specifically for the French-speaking minority.

The national testing program continues this spring with the second round of science tests. A third round of mathematics testing begins in 2001. Reading and writing follows in 2002 and then science in 2003.