Our work with teachers ranges from a few face-to-face sessions over the course of a year to ongoing sustained professional learning programs. Our efforts are generally focused on helping teachers problematize the content of the curriculum using a critical inquiry approach. We support teachers in embedding critical thinking questions into every aspect of their teaching, and then model how to systematically introduce and practise the “tools” needed to successfully complete each task. While qualitative data and anecdotal evidence suggest positive results in most cases, the benefits have been documented on standardized test results in only a few of these situations.

Here we present results drawn from studies not conducted by us in five sites in Ontario and Maryland. Three are based on reports in mathematics, reading and writing from the EQAO (Ontario Education Quality and Accountability Office). The reports are based on province-wide literacy and mathematics achievement tests and questionnaires administered yearly to grades 3 and 6 students. In one case, results on student engagement are provided. Other results are based on EQAO tests administered by the school and on unit tests.

Mathematics

Grade 3 results

• 15% increase in the number of students achieving levels 3 (grades B or B+) or 4 (grades A- to A+) in mathematics (2013 to 2014 EQAO results across four elementary schools)
• 26% increase in the number of students (from 58% to 73%) who scored at or above the provincial standard in open response questions (2012 and 2013 EQAO tests from independent school)
• 30% increase in the number of students (65% up from 50%) achieving at or above the provincial standard (2012 and 2013 EQAO tests from a “high social risk” school)

Grade 6 results

• 36% increase in the number of students achieving levels 3 or 4 in mathematics (2013 to 2014 EQAO results across four elementary schools)
• 75% increase in the number of students who scored at or above the provincial standard (from 32% to 56%) in procedural and conceptual understanding (2012 and 2013 EQAO tests from independent school)
• 32% increase in the number of students (from 34% to 45%) successfully meeting the expected unit indicators (multiple unit tests administered between 2010 and 2011 across four classes in a school located in an impoverished area with traditionally poor test results)
• 16% increase in the number of students (from 51% to 59%) who scored at or above the provincial standard in open response questions (2012 and 2013 EQAO tests from independent school)
• average of 167% increase in the number of students (from 15% to 40%) exceeding the expected unit indicators (multiple unit tests administered between 2010 and 2011 across four mathematic classes in a school located in an impoverished area with traditionally poor test results)
• 233% increase in the number of students (50% up from 15%) achieving at or above the provincial standard (2012 and 2013 EQAO results from a “high social risk“ school)

Literacy

Grade 3 results

• 54% increase in number of students (from 48% to 74%) who scored at or above the provincial standard in combined reading and writing (EQAO tests between 2012 and 2013 from independent school)
• 12% increase in the percentage of students (from 74% to 83%) reaching the acceptable provincial levels in reading (2012 and 2013 EQAO tests in high performing school)
• 6.7% increase in scores in the percentage of students (from 90% to 96%) reaching the acceptable provincial levels in writing (2012 and 2013 EQAO tests in high performing school)

Student engagement

Grade 3 results

• 54% increase in the number of students (88% up from 57%) reporting that they liked math most of the time (2012 and 013 EQAO results from a “high social risk” school)

Grade 6 results

• 168% increase in the number of students (59% up from 22%) reporting that they liked math most of the time (2012 and 013 EQAO results from a “high social risk” school)

Further research is warranted and more comprehensive data needs to be gathered. However the positive results from this sampling of jurisdictions offers encouraging evidence of the impact of our approach.