Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) assesses the reading and writing skills included in the expectations of The Ontario Curriculum across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. Successful completion of the Literacy Test is one of the thirty-two requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). 

In the reading elements of the test, students use reading strategies to interact with a variety of narrative, informational and graphical reading selections to construct an understanding of the meaning of the texts. Students are asked to demonstrate their understanding of explicit (directly stated) and implicit (indirectly stated) meanings as well as to connect their understandings of the text to their personal experience and knowledge.

The writing elements of the OSSLT include a combination of multiple choice questions and short and long writing tasks. Through their responses to these questions and tasks, students demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas and information clearly and coherently.

EQAO reports results on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test only in terms of whether or not students were successful in meeting the standard established for the test, rather than according to levels of student performance. Students who successfully complete the assessment are advised, via the Individual Student Report, that they have passed the OSSLT. Schools are provided with the single literacy score for students who were unsuccessful, as well as additional information to enable students, teachers and parents/guardians to plan for improvement.

Assessment Results

Results from the April 2009 administration of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) indicate a +1% percent increase in the proportion of Dufferin-Peel students who passed the test from the previous year, compared to no change provincially. The results show that 86% of Dufferin-Peel students and 84% of students across the province who wrote the test for the first time passed the OSSLT.

School Profiles

Below are the 2008-2010 school plans for secondary schools categorized by family of schools.