Thames Valley students no longer participating in EQAO Grade 9 math assessment in January

Grade 9 students in London and area are no longer required to participate in the EQAO Math Assessment in January.

It was confirmed in an official statement by the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), released just before 3 p.m. Thursday.

Earlier, the school board announced it will continue with scheduled standardized Grade 9 math testing amid a work-to-rule campaign from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF).

But the TVDSB says the minister of education has published an announcement, and as a result, TVDSB students are no longer required to participate in the EQAO Grade 9 math assessment for semester one.

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At the moment, it is not entirely clear whether students are required to complete EQAO math testing in June.

According to the TVDSB, the minister’s message included “a requirement for semester one students to complete the assessment in June 2020.”

If this requirement takes effect, the TVDSB says it will work with schools to develop an administration plan, and will communicate with students and families.

A student’s final mark includes a portion of the EQAO Grade 9 math assessment.

Since students will not be completing the assessment, the school board says schools will eliminate it from overall mark calculations.

The absence of this assessment will not negatively impact students’ final marks, the TVDSB says.