Glossary


Achieving the provincial standard
The percentage of students in the specified grade who met or exceeded the provincial standard on the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) test in the specified year. The provincial standard is equivalent to a "B".

Change in Grade 3 or Grade 6 reading, writing and math achievement over three years (three-year trend)
The increase or decrease (in percentage points) of students achieving the provincial standard.

Note that due to substantial changes in the EQAO assessments implemented for 2021-2022, comparison of results to prior years is no longer suitable.  As a result, the data for the "change in reading, writing and math achievement over three years" indicators are not available.

Change in Grade 9 math achievement over three years (three-year trend)
The increase or decrease (in percentage points) of students achieving the provincial standard.

Note that due to substantial changes in the EQAO assessments implemented for 2021-2022, comparison of results to prior years is no longer suitable.  As a result, the data for the "change in math achievement over three years" indicators are not available.

Starting in 2021-2022, results are for the combined (de-streamed) math as the Academic and Applied grade 9 math assessments no longer exist.

Change in literacy achievement over three years (three-year trend)
The increase or decrease (in percentage points) of students achieving the provincial standard.

Note due to substantial changes in the EQAO assessments implemented for 2021-2022, comparison of results to prior years is no longer suitable.  As a result, the data for the "change in literacy achievement over three years" indicator is not available.

EQAO
EQAO (The Education Quality and Accountability Office) is an arm's-length agency of the provincial government that administers provincial, pan-Canadian and international assessments in elementary and secondary schools. EQAO’s assessments provide information about student achievement that teachers and parents can use to improve learning for all students.

Enrolment
Please note that school enrolment totals have been rounded to the nearest 5 in order to better protect and maintain student privacy.

First language is not English
The percentage of the student population whose first spoken language is not English.

First language is not French
The percentage of the student population whose first spoken language is not French.

Gifted
The percentage of the student population that has been identified as gifted.

How Are We Protecting Privacy?
Results for OnSIS and Statistics Canada variables are suppressed based on school population size to better protect student privacy. In order to achieve this additional level of protection, the Ministry has used a methodology that randomly rounds a percentage either up or down depending on school enrolment. In order to protect privacy, the ministry does not publicly report on data when there are fewer than 10 individuals represented.

The suppression method used when reporting data as percentages is described in the table below:

Enrolment Reporting Percentages
0 NA
1-49 SP
50-99 Percentages randomly rounded either up or down to a multiple of 10
100-499 Percentages randomly rounded either up or down to a multiple of 5
500-4,999 Percentages randomly rounded either up or down to the ones digit
5,000 and over Percentages randomly rounded either up or down to one decimal place

  • Percentages depicted as 0 may not always be 0 values as in certain situations the values have been randomly rounded down or there are no reported results at a school for the respective indicator.
  • Percentages depicted as 100 are not always 100, in certain situations the values have been randomly rounded up.

Note: The information in the School Information Finder is the most current available to the Ministry of Education at this time, as reported by schools, school boards, EQAO and Statistics Canada. The information is updated as frequently as possible.

Literacy: First-Time Eligible
The percentage of students who passed the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) on their first attempt when they were in Grade 10.

Living in low-income households
The percentage of school-aged children in households below the after-tax low-income measure threshold (LIM-AT). At the school level, the measure is proportionate to the number of children from different neighbourhoods (postal codes) attending the school.

This is calculated using student postal code data collected by the school and cross-referenced with Statistics Canada data about income from the 2016 Census.

Please visit the Statistics Canada website for information about their data and methodology and to view a data accuracy statement. The Statistics Canada website also has information about linking of postal code data and standard geographic areas in the 2016 Census.

NA: Not available.
Student population information is not available if the school board has not collected and provided the data to the ministry.

N/D: No Data.
This designates schools who did not have EQAO results.

N/R: Not Reported.
Indicates the number of students participating is fewer than 10 and is so small that identification of individual students results might be possible; therefore results are not reported.

New to Canada from a non-English speaking country
The percentage of students who, within the last four years, moved to Canada from a country other than Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States.

New to Canada from a non-French speaking country
The percentage of students who, within the last four years, moved to Canada from a country other than France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, New Caledonia, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

Parents have no certificate, diploma or degree
The estimated percentage of children who attend the school and whose parents do not have a certificate, diploma or degree.

This is calculated using postal code data collected by the school and cross-referenced with Statistics Canada data about education from the 2016 Census.

Please visit the Statistics Canada website for information about their data and methodology and to view a census data accuracy statement. The Statistics Canada website also has information about linking of postal code data and standard geographic areas in the 2016 Census.

Province (aggregate results)
The corresponding result for a particular data item when looking at the whole province.

The results are broken down into English and French for achievement data since a different test is administered in each language.

SP: Suppressed.
Represents suppressed results due to school enrolment of fewer than 50 students.

Special education services
The percentage of the student population who are in special education programs or receive special education services. This includes students with identified and non-identified exceptionalities, but excludes students identified as gifted.

Student population
Information that is currently gathered by the Ministry of Education and that has been shown to be related to student achievement. Information about student population provides a richer profile of a school, and helps put other school information into context.