2007EDU0145-001352
Oct. 23, 2007
VICTORIA – According to the results of this year’s Foundation Skills Assessment, many Grade 4 students are doing well at writing and math, while reading skills could be improved, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced today.
“This year’s results are evidence that we need to tackle student achievement one student at a time,” said Bond. “Our focus on early learning, along with the legislation we introduced in the spring to appoint superintendents of achievement and to make boards of education more accountable for student results, will have a positive impact on student success over time.”
The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is designed and developed by B.C. educators and measures the performance of students in grades 4 and 7 in reading, writing and math. Approximately 85,000 students participated last May.
“FSA results are valuable because educators can use them to identify where to help students improve,” said Bond. “It’s clear that we need to help students improve their reading. We will continue to work with school districts to ensure they have district literacy plans in place to support individual student success.”
Provincial results for students meeting or exceeding expectations in writing remained at 90 per cent for Grade 4 students, with results for girls, Aboriginal and ESL students improving by one per cent over last year. Eighty-six per cent of Grade 7 students are meeting or exceeding expectations in writing, down one per cent from last year, but up seven per cent from 2002/03.
Other results showed:
- Overall, 82 per cent of Grade 7 students are meeting or exceeding expectations in math, a decrease of two per cent from last year.
- 86 per cent of Grade 4 students are meeting or exceeding expectations in math, which is the same as last year; the results for Grade 4 girls is up one per cent from last year, to 86 per cent, while the results for Grade 4 boys went down two per cent to 86.
- In reading, 77 per cent of Grade 4 students are meeting or exceeding expectations, a decrease provincially of three per cent over last year but the same as in 2002/03.
- 72 per cent of Grade 7 students are meeting or exceeding expectations in reading this year compared to 73 per cent last year and 77 per cent in 2002/03.
“We know that early learning lays the foundation for future success,” said Bond. “That’s why we’re increasing support for youngsters and their caregivers through initiatives like StrongStart BC Centres. I strongly encourage parents to spend time reading with their children so they can gain valuable literacy skills both in and outside the classroom setting.”
The Province has made improving reading skills one of its five great goals for the coming decade. Since 2001, the Province has provided more than $125 million in new literacy programs and services, including its comprehensive literacy plan ReadNow BC, in support of its goal of making British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction in North America.
This year’s FSA results are available at
Media
contact:
Lara Perzoff
Public Affairs Bureau
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963
250 920-9040 (cell)
