Northern & Rural Ontario Academic Achievement Gaps

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Three
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT018 (Friday)

Abstract

In Ontario, Canada, the majority of rural communities are northern, and the majority of services are located in the south. Is distance from the urban southern core an educational disadvantage? This paper will examine the current Northern gaps by analyzing EQAO standardized test scores and graduation rates amongst elementary and secondary schools in relation to their northern and rural status. Ontario’s Ministry of Education (MOE) datasets are used, specifically datasets that include graduation rates and EQAO results for the 2021-2023 school years. The paper looks at how serious and statistically significant the gaps that exist are. Furthermore, this paper examines how critical variables such as socio-economic status and parental educational levels factor into the current gaps in academic achievement.

Author

• Mostafa Awad, Toronto District School Board