Windsor's Catholic school board reports gender gap in Grade 6 literacy results

The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School board is reporting a gender gap in Grade 6 literacy scores in EQAO standardized testing.  

Though scores in the reading, writing and math categories all increased over last year's results from one to four percent, boys are still scoring 13 per cent lower than girls when it comes to literacy in Grade 6.

"We really always have to re-evaluate what types of materials that we're providing students to engage them in the reading process and the writing process. Just developmentally, that's where our boys are at," said Heather Best, a consultant with the board.

She said the board is trying to find newer materials that will help engage boys to learn.  

"We're definitely making progress. Student achievement is at the focus of what we do," Best said. 

The board can't compare results to provincial averages this year because the provincial data is not available. Some schools didn't write the EQAO tests due to work-to-rule actions by the teachers.