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Backyard Touch WHATS THE DEAL WITH SALT WATER HOT TUBS. 318 Guelph Street Georgetown 905.873.8835 STORE HOURS: MON.-FRI. 10-6, SAT. 10-5, SUN. 11-3 (FORMERLY BEACHCOMBER). . . Home of The Self-Cleaning Saltwater Hot Tub See the clarity & feel the difference a self cleaning salt water hot tub makes. Offer valid until July 31/08. See retailer for details. Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, July 2, 2008 3 Halton Grade 10 students are above average on literacy test Halton District School Board The majority of Haltons public high school stu- dents achieved above the provincial average in recent- ly-released results for the 2007-08 Grade 10 Literacy Test. Fourteen out of Haltons 16 conventional public high schools exceeded the average of 84 per cent of students across Ontario who passed the test. Ninety per cent of Halton District School Board (HDSB) stu- dents who wrote the test for the first time were suc- cessful in demonstrating their reading comprehen- sion and writing skills. Acton District - 88% Georgetown District - 85% Gary Allan (Score)** - 18% ** Adult, Alternative and Community Education Program In the past six years, the Halton public boards overall Grade 10 Literacy Test pass figures had been rising before flat-lining the last three years: 80, 85, 88, 90, 90 and 90. The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) prepares and evaluates the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). In all, 3,610 HDSB students wrote the test for the first time on March 27 of this year. Ruth Peden, Acting Associate Director of the Halton public board, noted that a pass in the literacy test is not an individual score of at least 50 per cent but a student who meets the provincial standard of Level III of academic achievement, which is roughly a B average. Peden noted that the loftier pass standard is part of the reason why the Gary Allan Score program stu- dents scored so low. She explained that they are a small number of students in Grades 9 and 10 who receive school community outreach education getting a half day of math and English instruction with the other half day spent at a supervised co-op site. The focus is on their re-entry into the (conven- tional high) school. They are kids who have fallen through the cracks. Its more attitudinal; theyve lost interest in school. To try to engage them we try to get them in an environment that is away from the (tradi- tional) school, observed Peden. Overall, Peden said the HDSBs students are doing well on the literacy test. The Grade 10 Literacy Test results are an indica- tion of the efforts of educators to improve students literacy skills across the board, she said. Were proud of our students accomplishments and the sup- port our teachers have provided to help all students improve their literacy skills. In Grade 9 and 10 classes, schools prepare their students with cross-curricular reading and writing lessons modeled on the format of the test. Students are also offered lunchtime and after school practice sessions, said Peden. The literacy test is compulsory for all Grade 10 students. Passing the test is a prerequisite for gradua- tion in Ontario. Students who are not successful may rewrite the test in Grade 11 or 12. Students may also enrol in a Grade 12 literacy course as an alternative means of demonstrating the literacy skills necessary to earn a high school diploma. The complete test can be found at www.eqao.com. TIM WHITNELL Special to The IFP Grade 10 students in the Halton Catholic District School Board have demonstrated they are above aver- age when it comes to literacy. The results for the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Results for 2008 were released last week, with 92 per cent of students in the Catholic board passing the test. This was well above the provincial average of 84 per cent. Christ the Kings score was 92 per cent. It is an important accomplishment, according to Rick MacDonald, superintendent of education, cur- riculum services with the Halton Catholic District School Board. I think this speaks well for the board and were extremely proud of the results, he said. More than 2,200 students in the regions seven Catholic high schools wrote the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test in March. The Halton Catholic boards success rate is up three per cent from last years success rate of 89 per cent. The increase reflects the dedication of the high schools, MacDonald said. I think the teachers and the principals deserve praise, as well as the central office staff because they are providing support to the schools, he said. It is a concerted effort, from senior administration to the classroom teachers. Everybody in the system embraces the concept of student improvement. MacDonald said that the students success is also reliant on solid instruction in younger grades. We have to remember that these students are in the system from Kindergarten to Grade 12, so I think we have to congratulate our elementary teachers and principals as well, he said. While some parents and educators have voiced concern against standardized testing, MacDonald said it is an invaluable tool in tweaking the curriculum to ensure students are up to provincial literacy stan- dards. The test is used to measure the curriculum, so I think it is an accurate measure, he said. For our purposes, it is very useful to determine what students need to know and what areas they are deficient in so that we can recognize those areas and we can put school improvement strategies in place to correct that. Grade 10 students in the Halton Catholic board have consistently performed above the provincial average since the tests inception in 2003. Past suc- cess rates compared to the provincial average are 83 per cent to 77 per cent in 2003, 87 per cent to 82 per cent in 2004, 92 per cent to 84 per cent in 2006, and 89 per cent to 84 per cent in 2007. The Halton Catholic board ranked No. 1 when it compared to its counterparts in the Greater Toronto Area. As for next year, MacDonald said it is onwards and upwards for the Halton Catholic boards test results. Weve set a goal for a two per cent increase, which is a tall order, but I think we can do it, he said. TINA DEPKO Special to The IFP Halton Catholic District School Board Car crash on Mountainview Two vehicles collided at the intersection of Mountainview Rd. and Barber Dr. Thursday around 5:30 p.m. creating a major traffic tie-up during rush- hour. Ambulance, fire and police personnel responded to the scene. No further details were available from Halton Police. Charged with road rage An Acton man was charged in a road rage incident at Guelph St. and Sinclair Ave. Thursday afternoon. Police say at about 1:30 p.m. a man driving a truck pulled in front of a car driven by another man. The truck driver stopped his vehi- cle, got out and went to the car behind him and began yelling at the driver. He then began pulling and punching the driver of the car through the open window. The driver of the car got out of the vehicle through the drivers side window and a friend came to help him. He was not seriously injured. Police responded and charged the truck driver. Charged with assault is Gordon Reid, 47, of Elgin St. Cash stolen An undisclosed quantity of cash and a cash drawer were taken from Dominos Pizza on Mountainview Rd. during a break and enter Saturday between 1 and 7:15 a.m. The front door was shattered to gain entry. Car emblems swiped Emblems, valued at about $220, were taken from six vehicles at Georgetown Toyota on Mountain- view Rd. early Wednesday morning. Police report six people were cap- tured on videotape walking onto the lot at about 1:40 a.m. Break and enters Police are investigating several break and enters into vehicles that occurred late Thursday or early Friday in the Delrex Blvd. and Windsor Rd. area. A cell phone was taken from one vehicle, change from another, and sunglasses from anoth- er. In one incident, the owner of a vehicle on Delrex Blvd. saw two youths in her car at about 3:30 a.m. Friday, spoke to them, then they fled on foot. Police responded, but did not find the youths. One is described as male, white, about 510, with a thin build, curly, dark hair and wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. The other youth is female, white, about 57, with a thin build and dark hair in a bun. She was wear- ing a white sleeveless t-shirt and car- rying a beige cloth bag. They were approximately 15 to 17 years old. Digital cameras stolen Police report three digital cameras were taken from the Shoppers Drug Mart store on Queen St. in Acton Friday afternoon. A male and female were captured on store video at about 4:10 p.m. taking the cameras out of their packaging, putting them in a bag, then leaving the store with- out paying. Police are investigating. Police blotter An incorrect phone number was listed in the caption accompanying a photo about the Georgetown Service Canada Centre for Youth in the Friday, June 27 edition of The Independent & Free Press. The correct phone number for the student job centre is 905-877- 7797. The centre is located at 232 Guelph St. The Independent & Free Press regrets the error. Sorry, wrong number