Why ELA assessment data matters to schools
Provincial English Language Arts (ELA) assessments offer more than a snapshot of student achievement. When schools look closely at results across grades, regions, and student groups, the data can point to where instruction is working, where learners may be slipping, and what kinds of supports are most likely to move the needle.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, students in Grades 3, 6, and 9 completed the provincial ELA assessment in 2014/15. The reporting highlights two key indicators:
Average score based on performance on the multiple-choice section
Student proficiency, defined as the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations, based on constructed-response writing tasks (where students must write responses rather than select answers)
It’s also important to interpret multi-year comparisons carefully. The assessment was not administered in 2013/14, and the format and scoring were revised in 2012/13—both factors that can influence trend lines.
What students are learning at each stage (and what the assessment measures)
The ELA curriculum builds from foundational language development in the primary years to increasingly complex reading, writing, and critical thinking in intermediate grades. The assessment design mirrors that progression.
Primary (K–3): building the literacy foundation
In the primary years, students develop oral language, interact with texts daily, and learn to think critically about what they read and view. By Grade 3, the provincial assessment focuses on:
Reading: students read both fiction and nonfiction and answer questions
Writing: students produce two writing samples, using a written prompt and a visual prompt
Elementary (Grades 4–6): strengthening fluency and complexity
By Grade 6, students are expected to navigate texts more fluently, analyze structure and messages, and apply language conventions in their writing. The Grade 6 assessment includes:
Reading: fiction and nonfiction with multiple-choice and closed-response questions
Writing: two pieces of writing, again using written and visual prompts
Intermediate (Grades 7–9): critical thinking and text creation
In Grades 7–9, students engage with a wide range of texts (including digital and media texts) and are expected to think and respond critically. The Grade 9 assessment includes:
Reading: a non-fiction text with multiple-choice and closed-response questions
Writing: one writing task using a visual prompt
Grade 3 results (2014/15): strong averages, but writing proficiency and gender gaps stand out
Grade 3 students performed well on the multiple-choice portion, with a provincial average score of 83.6%. Regionally, averages ranged from 79.6% (Labrador) to 84.0% (Eastern). Average scores for boys and girls were close (about a two-point difference).
When we shift from average score to proficiency (constructed response), a more nuanced picture appears:
Reading proficiency: 76.8% of students met or exceeded expectations
Writing proficiency: 73.6% met or exceeded expectations
Regional proficiency also varied, particularly in writing. For example, writing proficiency ranged from 64.7% (Labrador) to 77.1% (Eastern).
The most striking finding at Grade 3 is the gender gap in writing. Girls outperformed boys in both reading and writing proficiency, with the largest gap in writing: 82.0% of girls met/exceeded expectations compared to 65.8% of boys (a 16.2 percentage point difference).
Grade 6 results (2014/15): high proficiency overall, with a persistent writing gap
Grade 6 multiple-choice performance remained strong, with a provincial average score of 81.0%. Regional averages ranged from 76.7% (Labrador) to 81.5% (Eastern). Boys and girls again had similar average scores.
Proficiency levels were notably high at Grade 6:
Reading proficiency (province): 87.8%
Writing proficiency (province): 85.1%
Even with strong overall performance, the gender gap continues—especially in writing. The percentage of proficient girls in writing was 92.0% compared to 78.2% for boys (a 13.9 point difference).
This pattern suggests that many schools may benefit from targeted approaches to written expression for boys, without assuming lower overall ability—because average scores are relatively close while constructed-response proficiency diverges.
Grade 9 results (2014/15): average scores dip, proficiency stays comparatively strong
By Grade 9, the multiple-choice average score dropped to 68.4%, with relatively small regional variation (about mid-60s to high-60s). Boys and girls again showed similar average scores.
Interestingly, Grade 9 students performed slightly better in writing than reading on proficiency measures:
Reading proficiency (province): 80.6%
Writing proficiency (province): 85.3%
Regional ranges were wider for proficiency than for average score. For reading proficiency, results ranged from 66.5% (Labrador) to 82.6% (Western). For writing, results ranged from 71.4% (Labrador) to 86.8% (Central).
The gender gap remains consistent in direction and size. In writing proficiency, girls exceeded boys by 14.5 points (92.8% vs 78.3%).
Trends across years: why “up and down” doesn’t mean “random”
Across Grades 3, 6, and 9, the report shows variability over time. Some declines are followed by rebounds, and some measures remain relatively stable. A few highlights from the reported trends include:
Grade 3 reading showed declines from 2009/10 to 2011/12, then steady improvement through 2014/15.
Grade 3 writing proficiency increased through 2011/12, dropped notably in 2012/13, then rose again by 2014/15.
Grade 6 average scores were relatively stable overall, but proficiency patterns shifted more dramatically.
Grade 9 reading declined through 2012/13 and rebounded in 2014/15; writing proficiency remained comparatively stable across years.
Because the assessment format and scoring changed in 2012/13 and the assessment was skipped in 2013/14, schools should treat trend charts as directional signals rather than precise “apples-to-apples” comparisons.
Looking across grades: a key insight for school planning
One of the most useful takeaways is what happens when you compare Grades 3, 6, and 9 side-by-side in 2014/15:
Average reading scores decline from Grade 3 to Grade 9.
Proficiency rates are comparatively strong, and writing proficiency rises from Grade 3 to Grade 6 and stays high in Grade 9.
This combination can be a signal that as texts become more complex, students may find discrete reading questions more challenging (reflected in average scores), while still demonstrating grade-level competence on broader constructed tasks (reflected in proficiency).
What schools can do next: practical, targeted responses
For school leaders and student support teams, the most actionable patterns in the data are the regional variation and the consistent gender gap in writing proficiency. Here are practical next steps schools can consider:
Use a “reading vs writing” lens: If reading proficiency is strong but writing lags (or vice versa), align supports to the specific skill set rather than treating ELA as one bucket.
Plan explicit writing instruction and practice: Constructed-response tasks require idea generation, organization, sentence-level skills, and stamina. These can be taught and practiced systematically.
Address the writing gender gap without lowering expectations: The gap appears in Grade 3, persists in Grade 6, and remains in Grade 9. That consistency suggests a need for early, engaging, structured writing opportunities and feedback loops.
Look at regional and school-level patterns: Province-wide averages can hide local needs. Regional ranges (especially in proficiency) suggest that targeted resource allocation can matter.
Integrate support services into classroom routines: When literacy support is embedded into daily instruction—rather than separated as a one-off intervention—students are more likely to generalize skills.
How TinyEYE can support literacy-related needs in schools
At TinyEYE, we work with schools to expand access to online therapy services that can support student success in communication-related areas that often intersect with literacy—such as language development, comprehension, and written expression skills. When schools are responding to assessment insights, having flexible, school-friendly service delivery can help teams act faster and reach more learners.
For more information, please follow this link.
