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The Citizen, 2003-11-26, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2003. Marcy continues criticism of EQAO approach By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board trustee Ron Marcy, who has often been critical of the approach taken by Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), continued in that vein when he addressed the latest release of results from provincially-standardized Grade 3 and Grade 6 tests. “Anybody who’s been in the (teaching) profession knows that you can do anything you want with testing,” Marcy argued, at a regular meeting Monday, Nov. 24. “You can fail everyone if you want.” His comments came following the release of the board’s results from last May’s EQAO test of reading, writing and math among the province’s Grade 3 and 6 students. Both the Huron-Perth Catholic and Avon Maitland District School Boards released their results in the past couple of weeks. And, to some extent, the way in which those results were released illustrated Marcy’s point. Quantitatively, they weren’t that much different, but the reaction among top administrators was different in each case. Achievements in the Avon Maitland board continue to fall below the provincial average in all six categories: reading, writing and math in Grades 3 and 6. More specifically, the percentage of Avon Maitland students scoring in the third or fourth level of a four-level marking scheme is less than the average percentage among all Ontario school boards. However, a media release from the Avon Maitland board expressed satisfaction with the board’s continued improvement since EQAO testing began six years ago. The results “continue to validate the board’s focus on improving student achievement in literacy and numeracy,” the release states. In all cases, the Avon Maitland results fall within a few percentage ■joints of the provincial average, ranging from 46 per cent in Grade 3 reading to 54 per cent in Grade 3 math. The Grade 3 reading results slipped by three percentage points from last year, and there was also a slight slip in Grade 3 reading. But there was a three percentage point improvement in Grade 6 math, as well as less significant improvements in Grade 6 writing and Grade 3 math. “Our teachers, staff and parents are more committed than ever before and it’s paying off,” commented education superintendent Marjatta Longston, in the Avon Maitland media release. “We are very proud of the dedicated effort.” Longston’s counterpart at the Huron-Perth Catholic board, however, wasn’t quite so upbeat when she presented EQAO results. At the board’s Nov. 24 meeting, Huron-Perth education superintendent Martha Dutrizac had the duty of explaining Grade 3 and 6 results which — though they were ahead of the Avon Maitland numbers — had consistently slipped from the previous year. In particular, results from Grade 3 reading and writing fell, for the first year since EQAO testing began, below the provincial average. Grade 3 math results also fell, but remain slightly above the Ontario average. “We have a large percentage of students at Level 2 (of the four-level marking scheme) and we’re doing a lot of work looking into the kinds of things that we can do to decrease that number,” Dutrizac told trustees. Grade 6 results were less of a concern, the superintendent explained, noting they remain above the provincial average and have not fallen like the Grade 3 results. Huron-Perth trustees didn’t seem as concerned about the Grade 3 results, however, as they did about the validity of the EQAO tests. Even before Marcy spoke out about his dislike for the standardized approach, Dutrizac was forced to field a pointed question from board chair Bernard Murray, about the possibility that teachers are spending too much time “teaching to the test” instead of concentrating on the over­ all curriculum. “My observations tell me that we probably aren.’t spending too much time on that,” Dutrizac told Murray, adding that EQAO results are viewed as just one of many tools for assessing student achievements. Following the meeting, Dutrizac .said in an interview that she didn’t want to come across as “a defender” of the EQAO approach. Instead, she explained, the standardized tests are “a reality” that teachers and administrators must deal with. During the meeting, she also argued the EQAO’s process for developing the tests allows for close scrutiny by people involved in schools, to ensure they reflect what’s being taught in the curriculum. “We don’t teach to the test. We teach the expectations that are in the curriculum,” she said in the interview. Marcy wasn’t convinced, however, and said he remains a strong opponent to the EQAO approach. “I think the tests are not valid,” he said, adding the provincial average in all categories hovers around 50 per cent for students achieving either Level 3 or 4 — or a passing grade — on the marking scheme. “A teacher whose students had a 50 per cent passing rate wouldn’t keep their job,” Marcy argued. “1 can’t make a judgment because I’ve never seen the tests, but I just don’t think they’re valid.” HPCDSB entelieiiient boundaries to be reviewed By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen School ^catchment boundaries around all Catholic elementary schools in Huron County will be reviewed, following the approval of a surprise motion at a regular meeting of the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board, Monday, Nov. 24. Management committee chair Ron Marcy, a Stratford trustee, put forward the proposal, and it was seconded by South and West Huron representative Mike Miller. It was then supported by the other two trustees — on the five-member board — in attendance at the meeting. As a result, an “accommodation review advisory committee” will be established to study the accommodation of students in all Huron elementary schools. No specifics of that committee were outlined, but the board’s accommodation review policy stipulates any committee studying major changes (including closure or boundary alterations) must include representation from the board of trustees, from the school community, and from the chaplaincy. Marcy’s proposal came following the approval of a similar recommendation from board staff, regarding an advisory committee studying the boundaries around three Stratford elementary schools. Membership on that committee was more clearly-defined at the Nov. 24 meeting, and dates in early December were set for both a committee meeting and a public meeting about the issue. But in the Stratford case, there had been a lead-up to the establishment of the committee, with staff delivering a report at the Nov. 24 meeting outlining the current boundaries, and reasons why they should be changed. Sep. board looks a big renovation In the case of the Huron-based advisory committee, this was the first time such a study had been mentioned at the board table. According to Miller, the impetus for suggesting a study in Huron County was the fact the boundaries at the Stratford schools were “so out of whack, when you look at it.” He noted the population has shifted in Stratford, and staff’s recent study of the boundaries revealed changes should have been considered years ago. “We haven’t had the benefit of that kind of information for the Huron schools,” Miller said, following the meeting. Like in Stratford, he suggested, there could possibly be long-standing discrepancies which should be changed, but haven’t even been considered because no one has thought about it. Part of the reason for the proposal was also the board’s recent decision to place St. Joseph’s school in Kingsbridge under review, Miller added. At the time trustees voted to move forward with the review, it was noted that boundary changes could be considered as an alternative to closure. He said the Huron County committee may not actually form until a study is conducted by board staff. A report from such a study might suggest which particular schools should become involved in the advisory committee. “This is just to lay the groundwork for that type of a report,” Miller commented. By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen A tiny Stratford elementary school which faced possible closure in the late 1990s could soon be home to 'ome major new construction, including a library and gymnasium. At a regular meeting Monday, Nov. 24, trustees of the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board heard a report from staff recommending changes to the catchment boundaries around the city’s three English language elementary schools: St. Ambrose in the southeast, St. Joseph’s in the southwest, and St. Aloysius in the north. Currently, Grade 7 and 8 students from the St. Joseph’s catchment area attend St. Aloysius. Meanwhile, students from parts of the Downie Ward of Perth South township attend St. Ambrose, even though the closest school by distance is most often St. Joseph’s. That’s because St. Joseph’s is small, with just four classrooms and no gymnasium or adequate library. Indeed, only a few years ago. the board proposed closing the school and accommodating the students elsewhere. Now. however, neither St. Ambrose nor St. Aloysius could accommodate more students. In particular, proposed or new residential developments in the city's northwest have placed pressure on the ability of St. Aloysius to handle more students. Already, according to the Nov. 24 report delivered by management superintendent Gerry Thuss, the school is home to 153 more full­ time-equivalent students than it’s rated for in the provincial government’s capacity formula. That translates into seven portable classrooms: three which are fully attached to the previously-existing school building while four others are free-standing elsewhere on the grounds. St. Ambrose is home to one portable classroom. Thuss’s report recommends placing the Downie Ward students at St. Joseph’s. redirecting the catchment area's Grades 7 and 8 students back into St. Joseph’s, and expanding the small school’s catchment area to include an extra portion to the north of the existing boundary. To accomplish this, he told trustees, the school “will require major modifications.” including the construction of gym and library. Trustees were not asked to approve the boundary changes: instead, they approved the establishment of an “Accommodation Review Advisory Committee” to study the proposal. That committee will include the new chair of the Huron-Perth board — to be named at next week’s inaugural meeting — as well as another trustee, along with two members of each school’s parent community and a member of the chaplaincy. The committee is expected to first meet on Wednesday. Dec. 3 at St. Michael secondary school, in advance of a public meeting at the same location on Wednesday. Dec. 10. 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