Teachers, politicians call on the province to release EQAO results | CBC News

"Fraser said it seemed like Education Minister Paul Calandra was hiding something amidst claims the results were being held for further analysis. There is no reason for him to withhold those tests, said Fraser, adding the tests are an important teaching tool for educators and children. There's no discernible reason unless the results are just a reflection of the fact that class sizes are too large and special education has been starved."

"The assessment only provides a snapshot of students' development and is unreliable, said Shirley Bell, vice president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO). Whether it's students that have special education needs or students [where] English isn't their first language or students that live in poverty. They have so many other challenges that affect their learning in the classroom, said Bell."

"The Ontario government has passed Bill 33, granting the education minister the power to appoint a supervisor to take over school boards and require school resource officer programs. CBC's Lorenda Reddekopp has the details. The decision to delay results has also opened up another conversation amongst teachers, with some saying the EQAO process should be reconsidered as a whole."

Ontario's EQAO test results remain unreleased months into the school year, prompting educators and politicians to demand publication of the data. John Fraser accused Education Minister Paul Calandra of withholding results despite claims of further analysis and said the tests serve as an important teaching tool, while suggesting withheld results may reflect large class sizes and underfunded special education. The province passed Bill 33, expanding ministerial powers to appoint supervisors and require school resource officer programs. Some teachers and ETFO vice-president Shirley Bell criticized EQAO's one-day standardized format as an unreliable snapshot for students with special needs, language barriers, or poverty and urged alternative assessments.

Read at www.cbc.ca