1. EQAO Parent Information Evening February 16 th 2010

2.  Welcome and Introductions Mrs. Nardi-Addesa  Overview of EQAO Mrs. Bowker  The Process Mme Cheung  Math (Numeracy) Questions Ms. Miles  Literacy Questions Mrs. Caulfield & Ms. Pillon  Multiple Choice Questions Mlle Chow + Mlle Lebelle  Parent Handbook Mme Cheung  Questions & Answers Mme Cheung + Ms. Miles

3.  EQAO = "Education Quality and Accountability Office"  Assessment administered during months of May/June in grades 3, 6, and 9  Primary Division assessment consists of 6 days of activities in Reading, Writing and Mathematics  A snapshot based upon student achievement during the 6 days  Provides additional information for teachers, in addition to classroom assessments, daily observations, etc.

4.  Gives valuable information about strengths and weaknesses in student learning  Results do not count toward student's regular grades  Individual results are kept confidential; school results are reported to public  Student results are provided in the fall  All students will do the assessment in English

5.  Each day has about 2 hours of activities planned  All teachers are required to follow the instructions provided in the teacher manual; individual instruction for students is not permitted  Accommodations can be made for some students (such as extra time, scribing, repeating instructions, assistive technology).

6.  All students are expected (by EQAO) to participate  School uses the results to develop an action plan for improved student learning, and to focus professional development of teachers  Results are not used to rank the school versus other schools  Results are not used to evaluate teaching staff  Dorset has achieved at or above board and provincial averages

7.  Emphasis needs to be kept on the "big picture" – that we want students to achieve to their best capability through the whole school year – not just during EQAO  Students should not feel pressured to "perform" during the EQAO days – they should feel supported that they are prepared and capable of achieving their best  Just like any other school day, students should be sure to have had sufficient rest each night before school, and to have had a healthy breakfast before school  We will now provide you with a closer look at samples from the assessment in reading, writing and mathematics.

8. We will now provide you with a closer look at the process, samples from the assessment in reading, writing and mathematics.  The Process  Math (Numeracy) Questions  Literacy Questions  Multiple Choices Questions

9. Mme Cheung

10. Ms. Miles

11. Problem-Solving Strategies Guess and check Look for a pattern Draw a picture Choose an operation Make a table or a graph Brainstorm.

12. Problem-Solving Strategies Understand the problem Make a plan Carry out the plan Look back Communicate.

13. Mrs. Caulfield and Ms. Pillon

14. Reread the question Reread parts of the reading passage if you need to Write as clearly as you can Include as much information as you can  When you are asked to explain your thinking  When you are asked how you have solved a problem Move on if you don't know the answer. You can come back to the question later Identify (circle, highlight or underline) key words.

15. Mlle Chow and Mlle Lebelle

16. You must use a pencil Try to answer every question, even if you're not sure of the answer Choose the best answer for question Use any extra time to check your answer choices Fill in only one bubble for each question.

17. Mme Cheung

18. Mme Cheung and Ms. Miles

19. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Dorset Drive EQAO Parent Handbook before you leave. EQAO and Ministry of Education websites for more information and sample activities: www.eqao.com http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum