Monitoring Student Progress in Reading
In 2010, the Ministry of Education released the provincial assessment policy Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario’s Schools, covering Grades 1 to 12.24 In 2016, an addendum focused on kindergarten was released. Together, these policy documents provide guidance on assessment, evaluation, and reporting from kindergarten to Grade 12, endeavoring to move the province toward greater consistency in practice and greater levels of fairness, transparency, and equity. The French version, Faire croître le succès, Evaluation et communication du rendement des élèves fréquentant les écoles de l’Ontario, is based on the same principles outlined in the “Growing Success” policy with the addition of a principle referring to language and culture. Both policies are designed to ensure that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students, help inform instructional decisions, and promote student engagement. The philosophy behind them is rooted in the tenet that educators have a responsibility to develop students’ assessment skills so students can monitor and direct their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for achievement.
The different purposes and uses of assessment information are emphasized through the processes of assessment for, as, and of learning, which the Ministry considers an integral part of teaching and learning. To support these processes, educators plan lessons that are responsive to the needs of all students, provide descriptive feedback to learners during the learning process, and explicitly teach students to apply criteria to determine their progress toward their learning goals and decide where to focus their efforts. Educators consider multiple sources to ensure the validity and reliability of reading assessments. Classroom assessment and evaluation are based on the provincial curriculum, which includes overall expectations regarding evaluation. All curriculum documents have achievement charts with four levels of achievement and four categories of knowledge and skills. The provincial standard or expected level of achievement is Level 3, the level at which teachers and parents can be confident that students are well prepared for work in the next grade or the next course.
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), an agency of the Ministry of Education, develops and administers provincial large scale assessments. Assessments are administered annually in English or French to all students in Grades 3 and 6 (reading, writing, and mathematics), Grade 9 (mathematics), and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), which is first administered in Grade 10. The results do not affect student grades or promotion in Grades 3 and 6. Grade 9 teachers have the option of scoring all or a portion of the Grade 9 mathematics tests and including the result as a portion of the course grade. To obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, all students must meet a graduation literacy requirement by passing the OSSLT. Students who are not successful on this test may retake it or meet the requirement by passing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy course. Based on Ontario curriculum expectations, all assessments include selected and open response questions. Writing assessments additionally include an extended writing section. More information on provincial assessments may be found on EQAO’s website.