Catholic Teachers Know EQAO Does Not Work

“Minister of Education Paul Calandra thinks that there is something wrong with the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). Catholic teachers agree.

The Minister’s decision to delay the release of EQAO results provides an opportunity for the Ford government to rethink its reliance on this outdated measure of student learning. While Minister Calandra says he wants to take time with the EQAO results, we hope he will be reflecting on the well-documented consequences of standardized testing on students’ health, well-being, learning, and performance.

Catholic teachers know that standardized tests like EQAO are a poor use of education resources; only capturing a single moment in time and failing to reflect the diverse skills, learning needs, and circumstances that shape student achievement. Furthermore, research has long found that standardized tests contain cultural and socio-economic biases that disproportionately impact equity-deserving students. As a result, the Minister will not find the answers he is looking for in this data.

Catholic teachers have long advocated for the elimination of EQAO standardized testing and would welcome using this delay as an opportunity to discuss what would really contribute to improved student learning and well-being. Decisions in education are always better when they are made alongside teachers and education workers.
Teachers already use their professional judgment to conduct student assessments, using these results to inform differentiated instruction and tailored one-on-one supports, as well as to communicate student progress to families. These teacher-led assessments offer a far more accurate understanding of student growth and development than the overly simplified results of a standardized test.

Teachers know their students best and are the most suited to assessing their learning and communicating results to parents. Catholic teachers urge Minister Calandra and the Ford government to use this opportunity to dedicate their attention and resources to the essential supports students and teachers need, like real investments in education supports and smaller class sizes – not EQAO.”

- René Jansen in de Wal, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association