For Taxpayers:
- Increase, through a base of clear and reliable information, public ability to make judgments about the quality of education available across Ontario
- Report on the success of our students measured against accepted, understandable standards in order to evaluate and improve learning
- Ability to analyze student achievement in Ontario in relation to national and international standards
- Improve public understanding of the ways in which students’ knowledge and skills are assessed
- Report to the general public on the state of Ontario’s schools, with data on achievement, and the contextual factors that influence student learning
For Students:
- Provide students with clear and timely information on their progress
- Reinforce student successes and identify areas where attention is needed
- Provide information and direction which give students insight to plan for their future
- Demonstrate to students that the knowledge and skills required of them are consistent across the province
- Strengthen students’ involvement in continuous learning and improvement
For Parents:
- Make parents increasingly aware of content taught and standards expected in our schools
- Create opportunities for timely intervention to support student improvement
- Clarify expectations for students’ academic performance at key ages and stages through which parents can evaluate their children’s progress
- Give parents information they can use when talking to teachers about their children’s progress
For Teachers
- Help teachers to ascertain students’ knowledge and skills, so they may intervene appropriately to foster improvement
- Recognize the importance of the teacher’s daily observations and records in both good teaching and good classroom assessment
- Model and publicize excellent assessment practices which can serve as examples for daily classroom evaluation and help teachers improve their assessment skills
- Provide common language and examples of student achievement to ensure straightforward reporting
- Address public criticism of the education system by providing teachers with clear and credible data on student achievement and strategies for improvement.