Explanation of Terms

All Students: All students eligible to write the assessment in the grade.

Fully Participating Students: Students who took part in the assessment by answering at least one question in each session and, as a result, have data (excludes “no data,” “exempt” and “absent” categories).

Provincial Standard: The Ministry of Education has defined Level 3 as the provincial standard.

Level 4: The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with a high degree of effectiveness. Achievement surpasses the provincial standard.

Level 3: The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with considerable effectiveness. Achievement is at the provincial standard.

Level 2: The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with some effectiveness. Achievement is approaching the provincial standard.

Level 1: The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with limited effectiveness. Achievement falls much below the provincial standard.

Below Level 1: The student has not demonstrated sufficient achievement of curriculum expectations.

Absent: Students who do not have a result, due to absence.

No Data: Students who did not submit work for one or more of the language sessions or one or more of the mathematics stages.

Exempt: Students who were formally exempted from participation in one or more components of the assessment.

Withheld: The integrity or validity of the student’s responses have been compromised due to an irregularity (for example, plagiarism). The student does not receive results.

English Language Learners: Students who have been identified by the school in accordance with English Language Learners: ESL and ELD Programs and Services: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Elementary and Secondary Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2007) and Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024.

French-language learners: Students who are developing proficiency in French and may require temporary, needs‑based support (i.e., intensive or sustained). This includes students with diverse linguistic and educational backgrounds, such as newcomer and plurilingual students. Before the 2025–2026 school year, these students were identified through enrolment in either the Actualisation Linguistique en Français (ALF) program or the Programme d’appui aux nouveaux arrivants (PANA).

Students with Special Education Needs (Excluding Gifted): Students who have been formally flagged by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee and/or have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Students identified solely as gifted are not included.

Students with Accommodations: Students identified by the school as receiving accommodations according to their IEP. Detailed information about accommodations is available in the Ministry of Education’s Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024, EQAO’s User Guide for the Administration of the Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary Division and EQAO’s User Guide for the Administration of the Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Junior Division.

Individual Education Plan (IEP): A written plan that describes the special education program and supports a student will receive, based on their strengths, needs and learning goals.

Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC): A school‑board committee that identifies a student as exceptional, determines their special education placement and reviews the decision regularly.

N/R: “Not reported” indicates that the number of students participating in the assessments or responding to the Student Questionnaire is so small (fewer than 10 in a group) that identification of individual student results might be possible; therefore, results are not reported.

N/D: “No data available” is used to indicate that there were no students in the grade or subject for the group or year specified.

All Students: All students enrolled in the Grade 9 mathematics course.

Fully Participating  Students: Students who took part in the assessment by answering at least one question in each session and, as a result, have data (excludes “no data” category).

Provincial Standard: The Ministry of Education has defined Level 3 as the provincial standard.

Level 4 (80–100%): The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with a high degree of effectiveness. Achievement surpasses the provincial standard.

Level 3 (70–79%): The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with considerable effectiveness. Achievement is at the provincial standard.

Level 2 (60–69%): The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with some effectiveness. Achievement is approaching the provincial standard.

Level 1 (50–59%): The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with limited effectiveness. Achievement falls much below the provincial standard.

Below Level 1: The student has not demonstrated sufficient achievement of curriculum expectations.

No Data: Students who did not have a result, due to absence or other reasons.

Withheld: The integrity or validity of the student’s responses have been compromised due to an irregularity (for example, plagiarism). The student does not receive results.

English Language Learners: Students who have been identified by the school in accordance with English Language Learners: ESL and ELD Programs and Services: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Elementary and Secondary Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2007) and Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024.

French-language learners: Students who are developing proficiency in French and may require temporary, needs‑based support (i.e., intensive or sustained). This includes students with diverse linguistic and educational backgrounds, such as newcomer and plurilingual students. Before the 2025–2026 school year, these students were identified through enrolment in either the Actualisation Linguistique en Français (ALF) program or the Programme d’appui aux nouveaux arrivants (PANA).

Students with Special Education Needs (Excluding Gifted): Students who have been formally flagged by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee and/or have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Students identified solely as gifted are not included.

Students with Accommodations: Students identified by the school as receiving accommodations according to their IEP. Detailed information about accommodations is available in the Ministry of Education’s Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024 and EQAO’s User Guide for the Administration of the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics.

Individual Education Plan (IEP): A written plan that describes the special education program and supports a student will receive, based on their strengths, needs and learning goals.

Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC): A school‑board committee that identifies a student as exceptional, determines their special education placement and reviews the decision regularly.

N/R: “Not reported” indicates that the number of students participating in the assessment or responding to the Student Questionnaire is so small (fewer than 10 in a group) that identification of individual student results might be possible; therefore, results are not reported.

N/D: “No data available” is used to indicate that there were no students in the course for the years specified.

First-Time Eligible Students: Students working toward an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) who are in their second year of secondary school (Grade 10); also students who entered Grade 10 from out of province.

Previously Eligible Students: Students working toward an OSSD and

• who were absent or deferred in a previous school year;
• who were not yet successful during one or more previous school years’ administrations;
• who provided insufficient evidence to determine an outcome during one or more previous school years’ administrations;
• who were previously exempted but are now working toward an OSSD;
• who entered Grade 11 or 12 from out of province;
• who enrolled in an adult education program and began Grade 9 in or after the 2000–2001 school year; or
• who are mature students.

All Eligible Students: All students in the cohort who are working toward an OSSD. The only students excluded are those who are not working toward an OSSD (i.e., exempt students).

Fully Participating Students: Students for whom there is work for both sessions of the administration of the OSSLT and who were assigned an achievement result (i.e., “successful” or “not yet successful”). Students who are not working toward an OSSD, those who provided insufficient evidence to determine an outcome, those who were absent, those who were deferred and those who are fulfilling the literacy requirement through the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course are excluded.

Successful: Students who fully participated in the OSSLT and received a score that met the expected standard.

Not Yet Successful: Students who fully participated in the OSSLT and received a score that did not meet the expected standard.

Insufficient Evidence: Students who did not submit work for one session, due to absence or for other reasons.

Absent: Students who did not submit work for either session, due to absence or for other reasons.

Deferred: Students’ participation in the OSSLT can be deferred under several circumstances, as outlined in EQAO’s User Guide for the Administration of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. A student is categorized as deferred only if the school indicates a deferral. If a student completed any portion of the OSSLT, the student is not categorized as deferred. Refer to Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024.

Exempted: Students can be exempted from the OSSLT only if they are not working toward an OSSD as identified in their Individual Education Plan (IEP). A student is categorized as exempted only if the school indicates that the student is exempted. If a student completed any portion of the OSSLT, the student is not categorized as exempted. Refer to Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024.

Withheld: The integrity or validity of the student’s responses have been compromised due to an irregularity (for example, plagiarism). The student does not receive results.

English Language Learners: Students who have been identified by the school in accordance with English Language Learners: ESL and ELD Programs and Services: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Elementary and Secondary Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2007). and Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024.

French-language learners: Students who are developing proficiency in French and may require temporary, needs‑based support (i.e., intensive or sustained). This includes students with diverse linguistic and educational backgrounds, such as newcomer and plurilingual students. Before the 2025–2026 school year, these students were identified through enrolment in either the Actualisation Linguistique en Français (ALF) program or the Programme d’appui aux nouveaux arrivants (PANA).

OSSLC: Students are placed in this category of reporting if the school indicated that the students would be fulfilling the literacy requirement through the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC). For details about the OSSLC, refer to Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024. If a student completed any portion of the OSSLT, the student is not categorized as OSSLC.

Students with Special Education Needs (Excluding Gifted): Students who have been formally flagged by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee and/or have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Students identified solely as gifted are not included.

Students with Accommodations: Students identified by the school as receiving accommodations according to their IEP. Detailed information about accommodations is available in the Ministry of Education’s Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2024 and EQAO’s User Guide for the Administration of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test.

Individual Education Plan (IEP): A written plan that describes the special education program and supports a student will receive, based on their strengths, needs and learning goals.

Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC): A school‑board committee that identifies a student as exceptional, determines their special education placement and reviews the decision regularly.

N/R: “Not reported” indicates that the number of students participating in the OSSLT or responding to the Student Questionnaire is so small (fewer than 10 in a group) that identification of individual student results might be possible; therefore, results are not reported.

N/D: “No data available” is used to indicate that there were no students in the group or year specified.