Minister releases June 2002 high school results

Education Minister Judy Foote released today the 2001-2002 final results for senior high school students.

"A total of 26,089 senior high school students were evaluated on their year�s work in June. The students achieved an overall pass rate of 89 per cent in their courses. Public examinations are written in 10 courses with a shared evaluation with 50 per cent of the final assessment based on the school mark and 50 per cent based on performance in the public examinations," said Minister Foote. "While I am pleased with the results of this year�s evaluations and they have identified areas where students have improved, they have indicated where we will need to continue to work to improve student achievement."

Public examinations were reintroduced for six courses in 2001 following a recommendation of the Ministerial Panel on Educational Delivery in the Classroom. Percentage pass rates of those students who wrote the exams are: 88 per cent in chemistry, 82 per cent in biology, 86 per cent in physics, 80 per cent in thematic literature, 72 per cent in academic mathematics and 94 per cent in advanced mathematics. Percentages of passes for the four newly introduced public examinations are 84 per cent in world history, 95 per cent in world geography, 65 per cent in earth systems and 95 per cent in french.

"The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to providing a quality education that will prepare students to meet the challenges of post-secondary education and enable them to succeed in their chosen careers," said Minister Foote. "We need to recognize that our students are competing with students from other provinces and other countries. All of us involved in the delivery of education are striving to increase the standard of student achievement. Both the royal commission and the Ministerial Panel on Educational Delivery in the Classroom called for high standards and academic rigour. We are endeavouring through our new curriculum, through our provincial assessment program in math, science and language arts in grades 3, 6, and 9, and through intensive professional development and in-service for teachers to meet the challenges set out by those commissioners.

"The public examinations offer a standard of measure of student learning across the province. They provide key information to enable us to remain accountable to the public and make improvements in student achievement.

"Students in Newfoundland and Labrador have one of the highest post-secondary participation rates in Canada with 80 per cent of high school graduates moving on to some form of advanced education. This is especially significant as this province has one of the lowest high school drop out rates in the country."

Public examinations were developed by working groups of classroom teachers who reviewed the material to be taught in each course, determined the specifications for the exam and wrote the questions. Exams were field tested and sample exams were provided to all schools in the fall of the school year and sample exams from previous years have been on the department�s Web site for teachers and students. A panel of teachers marked the exams for each course.

Official transcripts were mailed to students on July 26 and summaries of the results are now being forwarded to schools and school districts. The department plans a series of meetings with principals and program staff at school district offices early in the new school year to review the results and to use the detailed information on subject area performance to improve student achievement.

In addition, the minister announced the addition of two new mathematics specialists with the Department of Education to work directly with principals and teachers in schools to improve the teaching and learning process.

This is the latest in a series of steps being taken by the provincial government to improve student performance in mathematics. Government established a Provincial Advisory Committee on Mathematics Achievement. Partners include the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers� Association, the Faculty of Education at Memorial University, provincial school boards and the Department of Education. This working group will provide advice to the department and school boards on an achievement strategy for improving mathematics achievement. As well, approximately 180 teachers are registered to attend summer mathematics institutes for elementary, junior high and senior high school mathematics curriculum.

Media contact: Catherina Kennedy, Communications, (709) 729-0048.

2002 07 26                                  11:40 a.m.