News release

Student Assessment Results

Education (July 1999 - March 2013)

NOTE: A summary of results for math and literacy follows this release.


Nova Scotia students continue to produce solid results in reading and literacy in provincial assessments, the 2010 Minister's Report to Parents and Guardians released today, June 29, shows.

The annual compilation gives families information about the progress of the education system. It includes a recap of school- and board-level results for Nova Scotia Examinations and other provincial assessments, and also provincial results for national assessments.

"The data gives families, schools and education officials valuable insight into our children's progress around the province," said Education Minister Marilyn More. "They help us see areas of concern and target our efforts to improve."

In the reading and literacy assessments, about 70 per cent or more of students met expectations. But Grade 12 math is an area of concern as only 45 per cent of students passed the provincial exam, down six percentage points from the year before.

"I am troubled by the math scores. Changes are going to be made to improve student learning," said Ms. More. "A new elementary math curriculum will be rolled out beginning in 2011, with a new curriculum for grades 7 and 8 introduced the following year. They will be more focused than the current curriculum to allow students to develop a deep and thorough understanding of the subject matter."

Also, programs to enhance math teachers' skills will expand to include more teachers and grade levels.

In addition to the assessment results, the report gives an overview of the education system, the Program of Learning Assessment for Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia School Accreditation Program.

The report is available online at plans.ednet.ns.ca or at local schools.



The following is a summary of the 2009 provincial results for mathematics and literacy assessments with a comparison to the results for 2008:

Nova Scotia Examinations:

  • 45 per cent of students passed Mathematics 12, down from 51 per cent last year
  • 64 per cent of students passed Advanced Mathematics 12, down from 70 per cent last year
  • 45 per cent of students passed Mathématiques 12, up slightly from 43 per cent last year
  • 71 per cent of students passed Mathématiques avancées 12, down from 89 per cent last year
  • 76 per cent of students passed English 12, down slightly from 79 per cent last year
  • 74 per cent of students passed English/Communications 12, about equal to last year's 73 per cent

Provincial Math and Literacy Assessments:

  • 71 per cent of students met expectations in the Early Elementary Mathematical Literacy Assessment (Grade 3), about equal to last year's 72 per cent
  • 84 per cent of students met expectations in the Évaluation des apprentissages en mathématiques : premier cycle de l'élémentaire (Grade 3), up from 79 per cent last year
  • 82 per cent of students met expectations in the Junior High Literacy Assessment - Reading (Grade 9), down slightly from 85 per cent last year
  • 95 per cent of students met expectations in the Junior High Literacy Assessment - Writing (Grade 9), up slightly from 92 per cent last year
  • 85 per cent of students met expectations in the Appréciation de rendement en littératie au premier cycle du secondaire (Grade 9), about equal to last year's 84 per cent
  • 85 per cent of students met expectations in the Elementary Literacy Assessments - Reading (Grade 6), about equal to last year's 86 per cent
  • 92 per cent of students met expectations in the Elementary Literacy Assessments - Writing (Grade 6), about equal to last year's 93 per cent
  • 79 per cent of students met expectations in the Appréciation de rendement en littératie à l'élémentaire - Reading (Grade 6), down from 82 per cent last year
  • 89 per cent of students met expectations in the Appréciation de rendement en littératie à l'élémentaire - Writing (Grade 6), up from 73 per cent last year
  • 76 per cent of students met expectations in the Early Language Literacy Assessment - Reading (Grade 3),down from 82 per cent last year
  • 84 per cent of students met expectations in the Early Language Literacy Assessment - Listening (Grade 3), up from 80 per cent last year
  • 88 per cent of students met expectations in the Early Language Literacy Assessment - Information Writing (Grade 3), up from 82 per cent last year
  • 76 per cent of students met expectations in the Early Language Literacy Assessment - Narrative Writing (Grade 3), down from 80 per cent last year

National:
Nova Scotia results from the first Pan-Canadian Assessment Program in 2007. The national average is 500.

  • Students tallied an overall Reading (Grade 8) score of 471, an overall Mathematics (Grade 8)of 457 and an overall Science (Grade 8) score of 480