Nova Scotia says junior high students improving in literacy

The Nova Scotia government says an increasing emphasis on reading and writing in junior high school is paying off.The first province-wide literacy assessment shows 91 per cent of Grade 9 students in English school boards have met expectations in writing. The 2007 assessment also indicates that 89 per cent of those students met the standard in reading.

The province says francophone students are also doing well after writing both the English and French assessments.

The 2007 junior high literacy tests were given to more than 10,600 Grade 9 students last May. The Education Department says it has spent more than $8.5 million since 2004-05 to support students who struggle with reading and writing in junior high.

-with a report by CP