Student performance is improving in the Qualicum School District, according to a recent district assessment report presented to the Board of Education.
The data comes from district-wide assessments, as well as data from the Foundation Skills Assessments, an annual province-wide assessment of all B.C. students’ academic skills in Grades 4 and 7, according to Rudy Terpstra, director of instruction.
“We’re seeing the trends, district-wide, increase," Terpstra said during the board's Feb. 25 meeting. He added that "dips", noted in Grade 7 and Grade 10 have decreased.
Peter Jory, superintendent of schools, added that a "slide" in Grade 4 and Grade 7 results has shifted in a positive way, after being a concern for several years.
“If you look at our results at [Grade] 7 compared to the province, we’re actually way out in front," Jory said. "And partially that is because the province has slipped a little more than we have, but comparatively, we’re off the chart.”
For the graduation assessments, literacy testing was above the provincial average, he added, and numeracy is headed the right way, gradually.
“The overall good news in our provincial data is we’re trending in the right direction,” Jory said.
Analyzing and using multiple data points has led to improvement in outcomes for students, according to Terpstra.
He added that one of the biggest complaints the district gets is people wanting to know what is done with all the assessments.
"That report shows what we do about them. We look at our students and how they’re doing," Terpstra said. "We provide learning events for teachers to focus on the growth areas for our students.”
