MCGUINTY
GOVERNMENT WORKING TO HELP MISSISSAUGA STUDENTS EXCEL IN READING, WRITING
AND MATH
Local School
Boards Getting $2.1 Million To Boost Student Learning
Mississauga- The McGuinty government is providing funding and resources totalling $
2.1 million so that elementary students in Peel will receive intensive
support in reading, writing and math, announced
Harinder Takhar, MPP for Mississauga Centre.
“Our
government realizes that every child learns differently, that every child
benefits from individual attention, and that schools need specialized
resources so they can help each student reach his or her full
potential,” said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.
“That’s why we’re committed to providing Ontario schools with
proven tools and resources that help kids excel in reading, writing and
math.”
The
government’s investment will particularly target elementary schools
where at least two-thirds of students have achieved below the provincial
standard on Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) tests over
the past three years. However, all schools in all school boards will have
access to innovative resources and approaches that have been proven to
boost student achievement.
“We’re
absolutely committed to helping all kids reach their full potential,”
said MPP Takhar. “We know
that getting a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy will help give
students the fundamentals for success in their school career.”
The
Ontario Focused Intervention Partnership combines the Literacy and
Numeracy Secretariat’s strategy with the successful Turnaround Teams
approach, which substantially improved student achievement in many
schools. In the first phase of the turnaround program, 84 per cent of schools showed dramatically improved
results.”
The
education ministry’s Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat has developed a
made-in-Ontario strategy based on proven practices in international
jurisdictions such as Australia and Great Britain. Some of these
strategies to improve student achievement include:
-
teachers trained in the latest literacy and numeracy techniques
-
uninterrupted blocks of class time for reading, writing and math
-
common tools for assessing student progress
-
school improvement teams.
The government has set a target of 75 per cent of Grade 6
students meeting or exceeding the provincial standard in reading, writing
and math by 2008.
Province wide tests from the 2005-06 school year show that overall, 64
per cent of Ontario Grade 3 and 6 students are meeting or exceeding the
provincial standard in reading,
writing and math. This accounts for a 10 percentage point increase, up
from 54 per cent in 2002-03.
Across the province students are already
benefiting from government initiatives intended to help more elementary
students succeed, including:
·
Funding to hire 3,600 teachers to reduce the number of students in JK to
Grade 3 classes to a maximum of 20 students in 90 per cent of classes by
2007-08,
·
Providing a more well-rounded
education, with funding to hire 1,600
elementary specialist teachers in areas such as music, phys-ed and the
arts.
·
Training more than 12,000 teachers and principals in
shared reading, and 16,000 in differentiated instruction.
·
Providing every school in the province with more
textbooks, learning resources and library books.
“We’re building on the tremendous improvement
Ontario’s kids are making in reading, writing and math. EQAO tests do
not capture the whole story of learning, but these additional resources
will ensure that each of our children will have a firm foundation for
becoming well-rounded citizens, ready and well-prepared for the future,” said Wynne.
