This year's EQAO test results show how the pandemic impacted student reading, writing, and math skills in the Greater Essex County District School Board.
The public school board tested below the provincial standard in almost all categories.
On reading, 67 per cent of grade 3 students met the provincial standard in reading, compared to 77 per cent province-wide. While 65 per cent of Ontario students met the benchmark for writing, only 57 per cent of local students did, and only 53 per cent made the grade in math. Across the province, 59 per cent did.
In the last round of EQAO testing, in 2018-19, 71 per cent of grade 3s met the provincial standard in reading, 67 per cent in writing, and 56 per cent in math.
Public grade 6 students also showed declines in writing and math skills from three years ago but did better in reading.
In this round, 80 per cent of grade 6s met the provincial benchmark for reading compared to 78 per cent in 2018-19. The Ontario-wide average was 85 per cent.
Seventy-nine per cent met the provincial standard in writing compared to 84 per cent province-wide, and 82 per cent in the last round of tests.
Only 41 per cent met the standard in math, down from 48 per cent three years ago. The percentage was 47 per cent across Ontario.
As for grade 9 math, 54 per cent met the standard compared to 52 per cent provincially, and 77 per cent passed the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test the first time, where it was previously 80 per cent. Across the province, 82 per cent of high school students passed on the first try.
The results were more encouraging at the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board.
In grade 3 reading, 78 per cent met the standard, 75 per cent in writing, and 64 per cent in math.
Grade 6 students also surpassed provincial averages. Ninety per cent scored at or above the standard in reading, 91 per cent in writing, and 54 per cent in math.
Sixty per cent of grade 9s passed the math test, and 81 per cent of high school students scored at or above the provincial standard on the literacy test.
"Despite the fact we are coming out of two years of disruptions caused by the pandemic, we were very pleased to see that our students surpassed provincial averages in seven of eight categories," said Melissa Farrand, the Executive Superintendent of Student Achievement.
The province did not conduct EQAO testing during the pandemic when students learned from home.
