The Ontario government is providing new student supports and updating curriculum for the 2023-24 school year.
These actions will refocus school boards on the development of foundational skills in reading, writing and math, supported by almost $700 million more in base education funding, $109 million in a new strategy to boost literacy rates, and the hiring of 2,000 more educators.
“Our government is delivering on our commitment to continue to raise the bar by boosting student success in the classroom with a focus on reading, writing, math, STEM disciplines, and learning about mental health literacy,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “Our students deserve a stable and enjoyable school year with the full school experience of extracurriculars, clubs and more that build real life and job skills that go beyond the classroom.”
Beginning this September, all publicly funded school boards will be required to adopt provincial student achievement priorities and metrics to:
- Help students improve EQAO scores in reading, writing and math;
- Prepare students for future success to raise graduation rates, encourage more students to participate in job skills programs and take senior math and science courses; and
- Improve student engagement and awareness of mental health supports.
To further support students facing challenges with math, Ontario is investing over $71 million to launch the Math Action Achievement Plan, a strategy to boost math competence in the classroom and improve board accountability. This includes:
- One lead per school board with the focus of helping improve math outcomes for students. These leads will be responsible for curriculum implementation and standardized training and lead board-wide actions to meet targets.
- More than 300 math coaches will provide direct support in classrooms.
- New Math Action Teams will work directly with school boards to identify and recommend targeted strategies to improve student achievement.
To ensure students have the skills they need to compete and succeed, the province is investing more than $100 million to hire over 940 educators to support students from Grades 7 to 10 transition to high school. Ontario also intends to fund $1 million per year for two years beginning in 2024 for the Ontario Science Centre to create hands-on learning experiences and virtual lesson plans for students, as well as STEM teaching materials for educators.
For the 2023-24 school year, Ontario is introducing revamped curriculum supports to ensure student success including:
- Language Curriculum: Last updated in 2006/2007, the revised Language and Français Grade 1 to 9 curriculums include foundational instruction to support reading and writing, critical thinking, and digital media literacy skills.
- Educator Resources: The government has provided $825,000 to Dyslexia Canada to develop, in partnership with International Dyslexia Association – Ontario, evidence-based systematic and explicit instruction resources and learning supports that are now ready for use.
- Reading Screener and Supports: The province’s $109 million 2023-24 investment includes the largest screening program in Canada, funded with $12.5 million annually to support students from Year 2 of Kindergarten to Grade 2 to be screened for early reading. Up to 700 literacy educators will work to support students who are behind in reading development.
- Grade 10 Digital Technology and Innovations in the Changing World: This course will equip students to be innovative leaders by teaching them how to apply coding concepts and skills, build hands-on projects, and investigate artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and other emerging digital technologies.
- Financial Literacy Modules: Secondary students will learn how to create a budget, manage their money, protect themselves from financial scams, and plan for long-term purchases such as buying a house or car with new modules.
- Mental Health Modules: The Ontario government has partnered with School Mental Health Ontario in collaboration with the Hospital for Sick Children to develop Mental Health Literacy Modules, for teacher use in Grades 7 and 8.
These measures will improve transparency for parents and ensure Ontario’s public education system continues to focus on improving student outcomes by providing them with the skills and tools they need to succeed, particularly in key areas like reading, writing and math.
