“During the 2020–2021 school year, EQAO field tested the online Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics and Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) with secondary-school students who were attending school in person. The goal of field testing these new digital large-scale assessments was to gather information to support the continued development of the e-assessment model and platform. Individual student achievement results were made available to teachers, students and principals. As the field tests progressed, EQAO used stakeholder feedback to enhance the e-assessment system.”

“Today, EQAO launched the request-for-bids process in an effort to source the expertise required to develop an online testing solution. This change will allow the agency to modernize its approach to assessment and data collection to be more nimble, effective and focused on student achievement.”

“Ontario’s education minister says EQAO, the province’s standardized testing, is cancelled for the 2019-20 school year amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.”

“The government is working with the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) to modernize the agency and its processes, while using data to build better assessment and evaluation models that have a greater focus on equity. EQAO is a leading authority for measuring school system performance and it is critical that their insights are maximized.”

“Over the past five years, the percentage of Grade 3 students who achieved at or above the provincial reading standard has increased by five percentage points, from 70% to 75%, but has decreased by six percentage points for the writing standard (from 78% to 72%) and the mathematics standard (from 67% to 61%). Since 2016–2017, these percentages have increased by one point in reading and decreased by one point in writing and mathematics.”