Niagara Catholic School Board

Niagara boards' numbers drop in literacy test results

Niagara high schoolers' literacy test scores declined this year, according to recently released provincial figures.

Both the District School Board of Niagara and the Niagara Catholic District School Board saw their Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test scores drop this year. Only the Catholic board, with an 85% pass rate among first-time takers, runs ahead of the provincial average — and well ahead of public school students' 78%.

The public board's results are down four percentage points from last year and five points from 2009 when they hit 83%, their highest point in the past five years. The Catholic board, too, came in three percentage points below the 88% success rate of the past two years, but above 2007's 82% rate.

Province-wide, students who took the test for the first time came away with an 83% average. Niagara's Catholic board came in above that mark, the public board below it.

"The decrease (in percentage scores) is largest in our students within the applied level courses," said public board superintendant of school support services Carol Germyn. She said the board is looking to nip that in the bud, but part of that will involve getting kids engaged.

"Until your students understand that they'll need to pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test to (graduate), they don't see the relevance."

She said the board would look at bringing in literacy and numeracy coaches, tutors for kids with poor literacy skills and early intervention for kids just coming into Grade 9 who might need help.

Heading up the OSSLT class for the public board was Sir Winston Churchill school in St. Catharines. There, every student wrote the test, and 94% passed.

At Eden High School in St. Catharines, 92% of test takers passed. In Fonthill, 90% made the grade at E.L. Crossley school.

But at Kernahan Park High School in St. Catharines, an abysmal 9% of students brought back a passing mark.

Germyn said that result is down only a little from last year. She said the school scores low because most of its students are bound for jobs or apprenticeship, not college or university.

The school doesn't offer academic-level courses, she said.

"We're working on that with them," she said of the test scores.

At St. Catharines Collegiate, 51% of students passed. At Fort Erie Secondary School, 53% made it.

The Catholic board's top performer was Holy Cross school in St. Catharines, where 91% of first-time test takers passed. St. Francis school was close behind, with an 89% success rate.

Student senate elects co-chairs, trustees | Bullet News Niagara ...

During the annual Niagara Student Senate Leadership Symposium which was held recently at Club Roma in St. Catharines, members of the Student Senate elected the Co-Chairs for the coming year.

Ryan Creelman and Patrick Morris, current Grade 11 students at Denis Morris Catholic High School in St. Catharines, will co-chair Student Senate meetings throughout the 2011-2012 school year. They will also serve as Niagara Catholic’s two Student Trustees on the Niagara Catholic Board.

Ryan and Patrick succeed Student Senate Co-Chairs and Student Trustees Shelby Levesque and Patrick Fowler, whose term concludes at the end of this school year.

Niagara Catholic Board Chairperson Kathy Burtnik welcomed Ryan and Patrick to the Board of Trustees.

Director of Education John Crocco had high praise for the outgoing Student Trustees.

“We extend tremendous appreciation to Shelby and Patrick for their stellar leadership and participation throughout the current school year,”