Ontario students' EQAO math scores either low or falling; province announces new payments to parents

Newly released results from Ontario's standardized tests — administered in the spring after a two-year break during the COVID-19 pandemic — suggest students are struggling in math, with a majority of Grade 6 students failing to meet the province's bar.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) data, published on Thursday, shows no improvement in math scores for students in both Grade 3 and Grade 6 from the 2018 school year. That same year, the freshly-elected government of Premier Doug Ford pledged to overhaul the province's math curriculum and improve standardized test scores.

According to the data, just 47 per cent of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard this year, compared to half in 2018. Meanwhile, 59 per cent of Grade 3 students met the math standard, compared to 60 per cent four years ago.

For Grade 9 students, 52 per cent met the provincial standard, down from 75 per cent three years ago

The tests for grades 3 and 6 were administered in May and June. It was the first time students took the exams online, with some tests paused for a time due to technical issues.

Reading and writing scores for Grade 3 students were also lower than in 2018, though roughly the same for Grade 6.

"EQAO data show that Ontario's student outcomes are similar to those of other jurisdictions, where the pandemic has had a more significant impact on mathematics than on literacy achievement," the testing body said in a news release.

After the results were released, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that the province is rolling out a new round of direct payments to parents.

Lecce framed the payments as help for tutoring supports for students to "catch up" from the pandemic.

But the government announcement contains no references to parents having to prove how the money would be used.

"I have confidence that parents in the province will put this money to work for their kids," Lecce said.

Ontario issued several rounds of direct payments to parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no strings attached other than the age of their children.

The new "catch up" payments will total $365 million.

As of Thursday, parents with school-aged children up to 18 years old can apply for payments of $200 for each child, while parents with school-aged children with special education needs, up to the age of 21, can apply for $250, Lecce said.