Prince Edward Island students have shown impressive improvements in math and reading, according to national assessment results, says Premier Robert Ghiz.

“The latest Pan-Canadian Assessment Program results show a significant positive upward trend in reading and mathematics in our Grade 8 students, as a result of the collaborative efforts of government, school boards and teachers,” said Premier Ghiz. “Island students have shown more improvement than in any other province in Canada, in the areas of reading and math.”

The Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) is an assessment of the knowledge and skills of Canadian students in Grade 8 in three core subject areas – math, reading and science – every three years. PCAP was administered in April and May 2013. The major domain was science.

• In science, 93% of Island students achieve the expected level of performance, 2% above the Canadian average.

• Island students show a significant increase in reading comprehension between 2007 and 2013, and more improvement than any other province in Canada.

• Between 2010 and 2013, we see a significant increase in mathematics, more than double the improvement in any other province.

“These students have benefited from new resources and initiatives in math and literacy at the elementary and intermediate levels,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Alan McIsaac. “Island educators and students are to be commended for their hard work. While there is more work to do, we’re heading in the right direction, and we will continue the pursuit of excellence in our education system.”

PCAP is administered by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) in cooperation with participating jurisdictions. The assessment was first introduced by ministers of education in 2007 to provide robust, comparable data on how well students are doing in provincial education systems. It complements provincial assessments, as well as the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

For more information and national PCAP results, visit the CMEC website at www.cmec.ca.