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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 16, 2002 - 3 Halton students score higher than provincial average in Grade 10 literacy tests By Tim Whitnell S P E C IA L T O T H E B E A V E R The majority of Halton Region students with both school boards scored at or above the provincial average in the Grade 10 lit eracy tests conducted earlier this year, although one high school scored well below. The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test provincial average of 75 per cent, for all Catholic and public students who successfully completed both parts of the examination, was exceeded by both boards with each scoring an 82 per cent average overall. All five Halton separate high schools beat the provincial average. Twelve of 16 Halton public high schools exceeded the 75 per cent Ontario average. Nelson of Burlington and Thomas A. Blakelock of Oakville tied for the best average overall in Halton with 93 per cent of its Grade 10 students passing both the reading and writing portions. They each had just two students among 216 and 206 respectively who wrote and failed both facets. At the other end of the spectrum, General Brock, a vocational high school in Burlington, had just 11 per cent of its 86 students who wrote the test pass it; about 70 per cent of them (60) failed both the reading and writing. The literacy test is one of three compo nents students must pass in order to receive their secondary school diploma. The other mandatory aspects are conducting a mini mum of 40 hours of community service and completing 30 course credits, 18 of them compulsory. Those students who failed one or both portions of the test must keep re-writing it until they pass both. The next Grade 10 lit eracy test will be held Oct. 23-24. It is administered only once every school year. As has been the case with Halton school board officials in analysing past provincial reading, writing and math tests for Grades 3 and 6, they are generally pleased with the most recent results but caution against comparing schools. They also reiterate that more can and is being done to help those students strug gling with the provincially-mandated tests. "Our school results indicate that our staff have embraced the demands of the new curriculum and delivered a more rig orous program to our students," said Elaine Hine, superintendent of education for the S E W IN G M A C H IN E S T O R E R E P A IR S T O S IN G E R Halton Catholic board. "Just as important," said Hine, "the assessment results will also be used to pro vide remedial assistance to those students who did not successfully complete the test. School staff will work with these students and (their) parents to develop strategies and supports for improving reading and writing skills." Hine's counterpart at the Halton public board made similar remarks. "The government sets a very high stan dard," said Barry Finlay, superintendent of program services. "I'm pleased overall. We've put a lot of work into the prepara tion of students with the help of (adminis tration) staff and teachers." "What we did in Halton is provide fair ly extensive (learning) resources for all schools, including Brock, to prepare them for the test," including a 116-page in-house booklet. A Literacy Team of teachers and administrators was also formed to help stu dents. "A number of students have been preparing (for the October re-test) since late June," when they got the results, noted Finlay. As for General Brock's extremely low pass percentage (11), Finlay offered a vari ety of reasons. "Brock is our only high school that is not a fully composite school - it's a voca tional setting. Many students at Brock are taking essential (basic) courses in Grade 9. With the new rigor in the curriculum and the provincial (testing) mandate, some kids are really struggling. "I have to commend the principal at Brock (Mary-Jo Dick-Westerby) because she had the majority of her students write the test," Finlay added. Dick-Westerby said 30-40 per cent of her students could have opted out of the literacy test due to identified learning dis abilities. Many are working toward skilled trades or apprenticeships in areas like auto body repair, cosmetology and cuisine and will not be going on to an academic col lege or university. "We knew full well that many of the kids would not pass it but our kids want to feel a part of it (the mainstream). We've got kids who can read a technical auto body manual, but they don't play the game of test writing really well," said DickWesterby. Due to the literacy test difficulties encountered by some of Halton's students, the board and four of its high schools Brock, E.C. Drury, White Oaks and Georgetown District - are lobbying the Ontario government, along with some other boards, to approve the creation of an alternative diploma. The idea would be for students not going the post-secondary route to do a series of literacy assignments. A portfolio of their work would be kept and, if deemed worthy, would enable them to satisfy the mandatory literacy testing criteria. The following is a breakdown of the percentage of Halton students who wrote and passed both sections of the Grade 10 literacy test last February. The first number represents the percentage of students who passed both parts of the test; the second figure is the number of students who wrote both parts. Catholic School Results · Assumption (78/215), Notre Dame (82/314); Bishop Reding (83/302); St. Ignatius of Loyola (87/389), St. Thomas Aquinas (76/262). Public School Results · Acton (73/128); Milton District (81/151), E.C. Drury (84/134); Georgetown District (72/311); Nelson (93/232), Lord Elgin (83/173), Central (80/135), Aldershot (90/135), M.M. Robinson (81/306), General Brock (10/86); T.A. Blakelock (93/222), Iroquois Ridge (90/241), White Oaks (74/271), Queen E. Park (86/188); and OakvilleTrafalgar (91/279). (Vt a BR1 V* NIn Here is just a sample: , Special Selection! CRAFT NETTING 180cm wide, 100% nylon. Many colours. Our Reg. 1.69 m NOW 1.22 m Special Selection! METALLIC KNIT ENDS 115cm Asst'd colours & qualities. Our Reg. 5.98 m Now 2.99 m Special Selection! BROADCLOTH 115cm wide, polyester/cotton. Our Reg. 2.44 m NOW 1.77 m Special Selection! FUN FURS 150cm wide. Assorted solids & animal skin prints & long hairs. Our Reg. 14.98-24.98 m Now 33%Off Our Reg. Price Special Selection! `Natalia' SUITING TEXTURES 140-150cm Polyester/viscose in fall colours. Tweed look, houndstooth, textures. Our Reg. 16.98-18.98 m Now 50% Off Our Reg. Price Special Selection! POLYESTER PRINTS 115-150cm wide. 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