The public school board is confident it can turn around math scores which are trending downward in provincial standardized testing.
The 2015/2016 EQAO test results were presented to trustees on Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Greater Essex County District School Board. They suggest math is an area where students continue to struggle.
Superintendent of Education Vicki Houston says the board has been in a similar situation before.
"When we did our work in the literacy area, it took us ten years," says Houston. "That's a long time of dedicated, continual effort — you can never take your foot off the gas."
Fellow Superintendent of Education, Clara Howitt says the board's math task force will help students succeed.
"It's been recognized by the Ministry [of Education] how well positioned we are, and we were off running day one. Not walking; running," says Howitt. "We're moving quickly, and moving with great intention."
Grade 3 and 6 math testing shows students between eight and ten points below the ten-year provincial average. However, Grade 9 students saw improvement in math scores, while literacy scores remain stable.
