News release

Students Performing Well in Math

Education (July 1999 - March 2013)

Grade three students in the province performed well in a recent math assessment according to results released by the Department of Education, today, Oct. 20.

The assessment, administered to 8,000 students last June, evaluated a full range of math that students are expected to understand by the end of Grade 3, including calculations, mental math and problem-solving.

Students improved in all six areas of the mathematics curriculum addressed by the Early Elementary Mathematical Literacy Assessment, including number, operations, patterns, measurement, geometry, and data and probability.

"Math skills are needed to fill many of the good jobs this province has to offer," said Marilyn More, Minister of Education. "Although these students are young, these assessments give teachers the information they need to ensure students are getting the best possible start in math, so they can continue to excel in the future."

Seventy-five per cent of grade three students attending English language schools met expectations on the Early Elementary Mathematical Literacy Assessment, an increase from 71 per cent in the 2008-09 assessment.

Students at French-language schools also performed well, with 87 per cent meeting expectations, an increase from 84 per cent in 2008-09. The French math assessment is similar to the English assessment, but based on a different elementary mathematics curriculum.

The Department of Education conducts provincial assessments to gather information on how students are performing, and where more support is needed. In the first Early Elementary Mathematical Assessment, conducted in 2006-07, two-thirds of students met expectations. Since that time, results have been steadily improving. This year, three-quarters of the students met expectations.

"Teachers, students and their families have been working very hard to improve math scores, and these results show we are moving in the right direction," said Ms. More. "We will continue to focus on providing support for teachers and all students to ensure they continue to grasp essential math concepts."

To meet expectations, students needed to correctly answer about two-thirds of the questions, a standard that was set high to reflect the level of understanding students need as a foundation for future success in mathematics.

The Department of Education provides teachers with support resources that work to improve each student's understanding of mathematics. Students most in need of help receive targeted support and intervention and their progress will be tracked by their teachers.

Parents across the province should have received their child's individual results no later than Oct. 15. Each report indicates whether the student is meeting or not yet meeting expectations. Teachers received detailed results several weeks ago and are using the information to better focus their instruction.

Results of the assessment are available at plans.ednet.ns.ca/. More detailed information, including school by school results will be available in the minister's report to parents, which will be published this spring.