New literacy and numeracy assessments show that student achievement is improving in Prince Edward Island, says Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Alan McIsaac.

“The number of Grade 3 students who met the grade level expectation in reading rose from 62 per cent in 2007 to 87 per cent in 2012, while those who were experiencing difficulty dropped from 27 per cent to eight per cent during the same period,” said the minister. “Literacy and numeracy are the foundation for all learning. We are encouraged to see consistent positive trends in early literacy which is where it counts most.”

Many new literacy resources and early intervention programs have been introduced in recent years such as the Primary Literacy Intervention Program, Primary Intervention Program and the Early Numeracy Intervention Program, in addition to Reading Recovery which has been in place for a numbers of years. Since 2007, Government has added more than 10 new literacy coaches, as well as new classroom resources and extensive in-servicing for teachers.

Among Grade 6 students, 84 per cent are now meeting or approaching expectations in reading, up from 74 per cent in 2011.

“Similar to last year, the 2012 results in reading, writing and math show that the major investments we are making in learning are paying off, whether those investments are in literacy coaches, early interventions or curriculum,” said Minister McIsaac.

“Investing in teachers through very focused professional learning opportunities is often one of the best ways to improve student achievement,” said the minister. Last year, Grade 9 teachers were provided additional professional learning opportunities that focused on the math curriculum, and the latest Grade 9 math results show that the average per cent score increased from 56 per cent in 2011 to 66 per cent this year.

Island teachers are involved in developing and marking the assessments, which are based on the curriculum used every day in Island classrooms. The results help teachers to plan instruction by indicating areas of the curriculum where students are doing well and where they need help.

The assessments give parents an idea of how well their child is doing in reading, writing and math at critical stages of learning. The reports have been sent home with students and the results are now available online. Parents are encouraged to take time to review the material and discuss the results with their child’s teacher.

For more information, visit the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development website at www.gov.pe.ca/eecd/ProvincialAssessment.

The Government of Prince Edward Island is committed to building a stronger education system and investing in the future of the province. Over the past five years, it has demonstrated this commitment by making significant investments in a provincial early learning system, a full-day kindergarten program, many early literacy and student achievement initiatives, as well as funding to ensure that post-secondary education is accessible and affordable for all Islanders.