LES INÉGALITÉS PROVINCIALES AUX TESTS INTERNATIONAUX-NATIONAUX DE LITTÉRACIE : QUÉBEC, ONTARIO ET AUTRES PROVINCES CANADIENNES 1993-2018

Abstract

This paper presents standardised test scores results in literacy from 19 provincial and international surveys in education conducted over years 2000 to 2018. The analysis draws on students in provinces, mainly Quebec and Ontario, at three stages of education, grade 4 in primary school, grade 8 in secondary school, and 15-year-olds in grades 8, 9 and 10. The tree domains of literacy are reading, maths, and science. A diversity of summary statistics is computed (number of respondents, mean, standard deviation, scores at different points of the percentile distributions), as well as gaps (P90-P10 and P75-P25) between scores and differences between Quebec and other participant group entities. The investigation also shows the percentage distribution of students in the surveys’ proficiency scales. The gradients of scores and the social statuses of students measured by parental educational and occupational categories are displayed. The results contradict the conclusion of an independent Council in education, and imply that Quebec’s system of education performs as well or better than in the other provinces system with lesser gaps in literacy domains. The assessment reviews why students in independent schools succeed more and some policy options in education policy to address social inequities in the skills and knowledge of students. Cet article presente les resultats a des tests standardises en litteracie, de 19 enquetes internationales ou provinciales conduites en education de 2000 a 2018 aupres d’etudiants du Quebec et de provinces canadiennes. L’analyse s’appuie sur les etudiants a trois stages d’etudes, 4ieme annee au primaire, 8ieme annee au secondaire et aux etudiants de 15 ans (secondaire 2, 3 et 4). Les domaines de litteracie sont la lecture, les math et les sciences. Plusieurs types de statistiques sont calculees (nombre de repondants, moyenne, ecart-type, scores a divers points de la distribution centile des scores) ainsi que les ecarts entre les scores (P90-P10 et P75-P25) et les differences entre le Quebec et les entites participantes. L’analyse presente aussi la distribution des etudiants dans les echelles de competences. Les liens entre scores et les caracteristiques du statut social des eleves, mesurees par l’education et les professions parentales, sont documentes pour chaque enquete. Les resultats sont compares avec ceux du Conseil Superieur de l’Education. Il apparait que le regime quebecois reussit mieux que celui des autres provinces aux plans des resultats et de l’equite. La question du succes de l’ecole privee au niveau secondaire au Quebec ainsi que celle de la diversite sociale est abordee. La discussion finale porte sur lecons et des options de politique publiques en education.