Ontario’s provincial government is preparing to re-examine its approach to standardized testing after the latest results revealed that student performance in mathematics remains well below expectations. Despite modest gains over the past two years, math scores among elementary and secondary students continue to trail behind desired targets, prompting the minister of education to launch an expert-led review into the underlying causes and potential solutions.
The move comes amid growing concern from parents, educators, and policymakers that hundreds of thousands of students are not developing the numerical skills required for academic success and long-term career readiness. While reading and writing scores have remained comparatively stronger, mathematics has consistently emerged as the weakest area on provincial assessments, raising serious questions about curriculum effectiveness, teacher preparation, and student support systems.
Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) standardized tests, which are administered across multiple grade levels, have served as a benchmark for student achievement for decades. Yet for years, the data has pointed to a troubling pattern: only about half of Grade 6 students are meeting the provincial standard in math.
As a result, Education Minister Paul Calandra announced that an advisory body will be appointed to conduct a comprehensive examination of the testing system and the broader learning framework that supports it.
Modest Gains in Math Scores, But Progress Remains Slow
The most recent EQAO results, released this week, show slight improvements in mathematics scores compared to previous years. Among Grade 3 students, 64 per cent met the provincial math standard, a rise from 61 per cent and 60 per cent in the two years prior. In Grade 6, the figure climbed marginally to 51 per cent, up from 50 per cent in each of the previous two years. Meanwhile, 58 per cent of Grade 9 students met the standard, compared to 54 per cent in the prior years.
Although these gains represent progress on paper, the minister emphasized that they fall far short of what Ontario students deserve.
“Some student groups and school boards continue to face serious gaps in achievement, and this is simply not good enough,” Calandra said. “Our responsibility is to do everything possible to boost student success. Students deserve better, and we must do better.”
He noted that math performance has been a persistent concern for the province and that incremental increases, while encouraging, do not reflect the level of improvement that should be expected from a world-class education system.
Advisory Body to Conduct In-Depth Review
To address the issue, Calandra announced that two advisers will be appointed early next year to form an expert advisory body tasked with examining the province’s approach to standardized testing. The group will be asked to conduct a broad and detailed analysis of the current situation.
Their mandate will include evaluating why the pace of improvement in math scores has been so slow, determining whether the curriculum and learning resources are sufficiently clear, assessing how well teachers are being prepared to deliver math instruction, and examining whether students have access to the supports and tools they need to succeed.
The review is expected to go beyond test results, looking instead at the full ecosystem of learning — from classroom instruction and teacher education to resources, intervention programs, and assessment techniques.
According to Calandra, the goal is not just to understand what is going wrong but to identify specific, evidence-based actions that can be taken to improve learning outcomes in a measurable and sustainable way.
Reading and Writing Scores Remain Higher
While mathematics continues to be a challenge, EQAO results indicate that students are performing better in reading and writing. In the most recent assessments, 71 per cent of Grade 3 students met the standard in reading, while an even stronger 86 per cent of Grade 6 students achieved the required level.
Writing scores were slightly lower but still significantly better than math. About 65 per cent of Grade 3 students met the standard in writing, along with 85 per cent of Grade 6 students.
In Grade 10, where students complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test — a graduation requirement — 85 per cent of first-time eligible students met the standard.
Despite these more positive results, Calandra made it clear that the province should not be satisfied.
“Even though reading and writing results tend to be higher than math, we want to see improvement there as well,” he said, adding that student achievement in all core areas remains a priority.
Regional Disparities Highlight Uneven Performance
A deeper analysis of the data also revealed significant differences in student performance between school boards. Calandra said that certain boards, such as Niagara Catholic and Niagara public, are performing exceptionally well across multiple categories.
In the Niagara public school board, for example, 71 per cent of Grade 6 students met the math standard — a figure that stands in sharp contrast to lower-performing areas.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Near North District School Board, which Calandra recently assumed responsibility for. There, just 29 per cent of Grade 6 students met the math standard, making it one of the lowest in the province.
“What we’re seeing is that boards with the same level of funding can have very different results,” Calandra noted. “That’s something we absolutely have to get to the bottom of.”
These disparities suggest that funding levels alone do not explain the performance gap, and that other factors — such as leadership, teaching strategies, community support, and student demographics — may play a significant role.
Opposition Raises Concerns About Political Influence
Not everyone supports the government’s approach. Opposition leaders and education advocates have expressed skepticism about the effectiveness and independence of the proposed advisory body.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles suggested that the advisers selected may have political connections to the governing party, raising concerns about transparency and impartiality.
“A couple more Conservative insiders at $1,500 a day is not going to fix our education system,” Stiles said, criticizing the per diem rate that would be paid to advisers.
For critics, the concern is that the review may be more symbolic than substantive, offering the appearance of action without leading to meaningful, student-centered change.
Teachers’ Union Calls for End to EQAO Testing
Adding to the controversy, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has renewed its call for the complete elimination of EQAO standardized testing. The union argues that the tests are not an accurate measure of student learning and place unnecessary pressure on schools that are already struggling with serious challenges.
According to ETFO President David Mastin, educators are dealing with large class sizes, increasing workloads, and rising incidents of violence in schools — all of which impact the learning environment.
“Educators are struggling with large class sizes, increasing workloads, and rising violence in schools, yet the Ford government remains incomprehensibly fixated on meaningless EQAO results,” Mastin said in a statement.
He also raised questions about the independence of EQAO, pointing to the delay in releasing the results this year.
“If EQAO is supposed to operate as an arms-length, independent agency, why is the minister intervening in decisions around the release of its results?” he asked.
This criticism has intensified the debate about whether standardized tests remain the most effective way to measure student achievement in a complex and evolving educational landscape.
A System at a Crossroads
Ontario now stands at a critical point in its education journey. The government’s decision to review standardized testing reflects an acknowledgment that current strategies are not delivering the desired outcomes, particularly in mathematics. However, the path forward remains uncertain.
On one side are policymakers who believe data-driven analysis and accountability are essential for improvement. On the other are educators and advocates who argue for a more holistic approach, focusing on classroom conditions, mental health supports, and individualized learning rather than high-stakes testing.
What is clear is that Ontario’s students — especially those struggling in math — cannot afford for this review to result in inaction or political posturing. The findings of the advisory body will be closely watched by families, teachers, and school boards across the province.
Conclusion: The Urgent Need for Meaningful Change
The slow improvement in Ontario’s math scores sends a clear message: small steps are not enough. While recent gains suggest that progress is possible, they also reveal the scale of the challenge ahead.
The upcoming review of standardized testing and educational supports presents an opportunity for the province to make bold, informed changes that put students at the center of decision-making. Whether that leads to curriculum reform, new teaching strategies, additional resources, or even a reconsideration of standardized testing itself remains to be seen.
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