NEWS RELEASE
Near North District School Board Students Improve in Every Elementary EQAO Assessment Area
Highlights
- 72% of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in reading, up from 60% last year, while 59% met the provincial standard in writing, up from 43%.
- 38% of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in mathematics, an increase of nine percentage points from 29% last year.
- Achievement increased in all six Grade 3 and Grade 6 assessment areas, with every result higher than it was three years ago.
- NNDSB narrowed the gap with provincial achievement in all six elementary assessment areas.
October 7, 2026 (North Bay, ON) – Students across Near North District School Board (NNDSB) made significant gains on EQAO assessments in 2025-2026, with achievement increasing in all six Grade 3 and Grade 6 assessment areas, particularly in Grade 3 literacy and Grade 6 mathematics.
EQAO assessments provide one measure of student achievement in literacy and mathematics and help schools and boards identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth as well as other locally developed data information.
For Grade 3, 72% of students met the provincial standard in reading, 59% in writing, and 55% in mathematics. In Grade 6, 82% of students met the provincial standard in reading, 79% in writing, and 38% in mathematics. Every Grade 3 and Grade 6 result is higher than it was three years ago, demonstrating sustained improvement over time.
NNDSB also made progress relative to the province. The gap between NNDSB and provincial achievement narrowed in all six Grade 3 and Grade 6 assessment areas this year. While provincial achievement remains higher overall, NNDSB improved at a faster rate than the province in every elementary subject assessed.
“We’re encouraged by the progress reflected in these results, particularly in elementary literacy and mathematics where we saw improvement in every area assessed,” said Jay MacJanet, CEO and Director of Education. “These gains reflect the hard work of our students, staff and families. At the same time, the results help identify where we need to maintain our focus so every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
At the secondary level, Grade 9 mathematics remains an area of concern. In 2025-2026, 35% of NNDSB students met the provincial standard, compared with 58.7% provincially.
Grade 10 literacy also remains an area of focus. In 2025-2026, 71.6% of students writing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) for the first time met the provincial standard, a decline of 3.7 percentage points from 2023-2024. This compares with a provincial result of 85.6%. These results highlight the need for continued focus on literacy instruction and targeted supports to help students strengthen the reading and writing skills needed for success.
At Near North District School Board, the success and achievement of our students remain our top priority. The recent EQAO results reflect the progress we are making together, showing gains across all elementary assessment areas in math and literacy. To build on this momentum, we have added dedicated instructional coaches to work directly alongside our educators, implementing high-impact strategies that strengthen daily instruction in reading, writing, and mathematics. Moving forward, NNDSB will continue to use data to drive our decision-making and strategically leverage our budget to ensure our resources directly support student achievement across all grade levels.
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Media Contact:
Natalie Cockerline
Marketing and Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
communications@nearnorthschools.ca
