Minister's Report Shows Progress in Language Arts, Science

Nova Scotia students are making progress in language arts and science, but are still struggling with high school mathematics, according to the latest student assessments by the Department of Education.

The province's sixth annual Minister's Report to Parents released today, April 12, contains results from provincial testing during 2006 in seven Grade 12 courses including English, English communications, physics, mathematics and advanced mathematics. The two math courses were also offered in French. The report also contains school-by-school results from the October 2006 Elementary Literacy Assessment.

"Our testing program is again giving us a very good provincewide picture of student achievement. It is showing us the areas of improvement, and where continued effort is required," said Education Minister Karen Casey.

Students made progress in a number of areas.

The pass rate in Grade 12 English and English communications were both more than 80 per cent. The results in Grade 12 physics improved for the fourth consecutive year.

There was substantial improvement in the Grade 6 Elementary Literacy Assessment with 88 per cent of anglophone students meeting or exceeding the provincial standard in writing. It was a jump of more than nine percentage points over last year.

The improved performance in writing overshadowed a five per cent drop in the number of students meeting expectations in the reading component of the test.

Still, many of the 9,500 Grade 6 students who wrote the literacy assessment in English did well in reading, with 83 per cent meeting or exceeding expectations. While reading success dipped for English-speaking students, the reading performance of Francophone students was solid but unchanged, with 83 per cent of French-speaking Acadian students meeting expectations in reading. Three-hundred-and-thirty-one students wrote the Elementary Literacy Assessment in French.

The 2,208 students who did not meet expectations this year are now have literacy support plans.

"This is exactly why we do provincial assessments," said Vince Warner, the province's director of evaluations and assessments. "They allow us to identify not only which students need help, but how the system is performing and where we need to improve."

However, the big concern remains Grade 12 mathematics and advanced mathematics.

Only 28 per cent of students writing the mathematics 12 provincial exam passed, a significant drop from the 2005 assessment where the pass rate was 31.2 per cent. The average result was just 38.7 per cent, compared with 41.3 per cent in 2005.

Results in advance mathematics were also disappointing. The provincial average fell to 51.3 per cent, from 53.9, while the pass rate decreased to 51.8 per cent from 57.3 per cent in 2005.

The examination results count for 30 per cent of each student's final marks.

"I am very concerned that some students continue to struggle with the basics in mathematics, reading and writing," said Ms. Casey. "We need to do more, collectively, to help our students perform better."

Work is underway to improve achievement in mathematics at all grade levels. Over the past year, the department has targeted resources at improving students' understanding of math. In the mathematics strategy, schools have increased the amount of time spent on math, added math mentors and math leaders to help guide teachers in every board, and increased course options at high schools. There are also more learning resources available, including new textbooks at junior high, a high-quality study guide to help Grade 12 students writing the provincial math exam and a new online item bank that allows teachers and students to become familiar with the type of questions encountered on the assessment.

In 2002, the province began a mental math initiative designed to help elementary and junior high students develop a greater fluency and deeper understanding of basic concepts.

The department has directed funding to boards to implement quality professional development for junior high math teachers. Steps have also been taken to introduce prerequisites for all high school math courses so more students are placed in courses where they can expect to achieve success. Of the 7,876 students who wrote the math and advanced math exams, 41 per cent wrote advanced math 12, even though the course is designed for the top 20 per cent of students and for those who plan to take pure science or engineering degrees in university.

This is reflected in the range of marks in advanced math 12, from a high of 97.5 per cent to a low of 5.5 per cent.

The department is also expanding its provincial assessments to more grades this year, including a Grade 3 math assessment to be administered this spring to help the department identify difficulties in math at an earlier age.

A junior high literacy assessment will also administered for the first time to Grade 9 students. This assessment will measure the progress of students who participated in the first elementary literacy assessment in 2003.

The 2006 Minister's Report to Parents is available online at plans.ednet.ns.ca .