Director's Annual Report 2023 - Limestone District School Board

Director of Education Krishna Burra.

Director’s Message

The Limestone District School Board (LDSB) Director’s Annual Report provides a brief snapshot of continued progress on our Multi-Year Strategic Plan, anchored by the pillars of Wellness, Innovation, and Collaboration.

In reflecting on the 2022-2023 school year, or any other school year, it is important to remember Kathy Freston’s wise words: “The goal is progress, not perfection.”

Board Chair Robin Hutcheon.

Chair’s Message

It has been a privilege to serve as the Chair of the Limestone District School Board of Trustees in this first term of a new four-year term in office. I would like to thank my fellow trustees for the work that we have undertaken focusing on learning and leading in safe and inclusive environments.

Three new trustees joined seven incumbents as a result of the November 2022 school board elections, including the historic addition of the first Indigenous Trustee appointed by the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. The issue of representation and having an Indigenous voice at the Board level has been a topic of considerable discussion by trustees in recent years. The addition of an Indigenous Trustee to the Board, now brings the number of officials to ten.

Our Strategic Priorities

School Boards in Ontario are required to develop a Multi-Year Strategic Plan that outlines the Board’s strategic goals, progress that has been made against these goals in the previous school year, and actions the Board is taking in those strategic priority areas where goals are not being met.

The LDSB Strategic Plan 2017-2023 is anchored by three pillars – Wellness, Innovation and Collaboration.

About Our District

The LDSB offers elementary and secondary students an education that is enriched with diverse program choices and activities to complement curriculum requirements while supporting achievement, well-being, and the overall success of every student.

The LDSB serves more than 20,500 students across 55 schools and five alternative education centres covering a geographic area of 7,719 square kilometres across the City of Kingston, the Townships of Central Frontenac, North Frontenac, South Frontenac, Addington Highlands, Loyalist, Stone Mills, the Frontenac Islands and the Town of Greater Napanee.

Limestone District School Board by the Numbers

Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)

EQAO is an arm’s-length agency of the provincial government. Schools routinely consider EQAO data along with other information to support student success. Typically, students in all publicly funded schools in Ontario are required to write the provincial EQAO assessments of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics in Grades 3 and 6, while students who take Grade 9 Mathematics are required to write the provincial assessment near the end of the course. The Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) measures whether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9.

The EQAO assessments have undergone significant changes, with the newest digital assessments offered entirely online through a digital platform for students over the past two years. We recognize the interruption in learning over the past three years has had an impact on students due to the global pandemic. We will continue to work together to close gaps in those areas of achievement, while paving the way for continued growth moving forward.

Additional EQAO highlights are available on our website.

Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Tests

This year, 91.7% of first-time eligible students took the test in Limestone, compared to 92.8% of students in the province. 16.1% more students with Special Education needs wrote the OSSLT compared to the provincial average, a statistic we continue to be proud of as part of our collective efforts toward an inclusive educational experience. 70% of students who wrote the OSSLT were enrolled in Academic English, 27% in Applied English and 2% in Locally Developed English. Last year we had twice as many students in Applied English compared to the province and 13% fewer students in Academic English.

EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics

Participation rates in the Assessment of Grade 9 Mathematics remain higher in Limestone than across the province in general, and by 10% for students with Special Education needs.

EQAO Grade 9 math results for the second year of implementation of the Grade 9 de-streamed math curriculum in Limestone are similar to the provincial results with less than half of Limestone students achieving provincial standard. For all participating students in the Assessment of Grade 9 Mathematics, just over 51% achieved the provincial standard in Limestone and just under 54% of students achieved the provincial standard across Ontario. This represents a significant decrease in the gap between Limestone students’ achievement compared to others in the province.

Results for students with Special Education needs achieving the provincial standard are 31% for Limestone and 27.5% for the province. This represents a 10% increase in achievement for students with Special Education needs compared to last year and surpasses the province by 3.5% with a 10% higher participation rate amongst this student population.

EQAO Grade 3 Primary Assessment

EQAO presentation, the format and delivery of the assessment, has changed significantly over the last two years. The assessment was completed on paper and is now completed online. The questions have also changed significantly. Whereas there were open responses and requests for students to explain their thinking, the assessment now contains an increasing number of multiple-choice questions. This is one of the reasons we have included results from the last two years and the four-year trend from 2015-2019. The four-year average illustrates trendlines and provides a general sense of the trajectory.

The percentage of students achieving the provincial standard is notably lower than students who are not identified with Special Education needs. Of significant concern is the decrease in proportion of students with Special Education needs achieving provincial standard in Grade 3 writing.

EQAO Grade 6 Junior Assessment

While not where we want them, the Grade 6 scores are significantly higher than the Grade 3 scores in reading and writing. In reading, writing and math, the gap between LDSB and the province has decreased over the previous five-year trend. A trend we wish to see continue.

In all areas, students with Special Education needs improved in the proportion of students achieving provincial standard, over the past five-year average.

When we think about supporting students in the margins, while we still have a lot of work to do, we are working toward a continued increase in the percentage of students with Special Education needs achieving or exceeding the provincial standard.

Director’s Annual Report