Student assessments for Grades 9 and 10 will be reintroduced, beginning this September, says the supervisor appointed by the province to oversee Ottawa’s largest school board.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is one of the few boards in Ontario that does not include exams or summative assessments in Grades 9 and 10, supervisor Robert Plamondon said in an email to parents.
“Although the OCDSB had had final evaluations in Grade 9 and 10, those evaluations have not included a final exam which will better prepare them for more consequential evaluations in Grade 11 and 12,” Plamondon said.
“Following a review of our Student Success Days and feedback from teachers and parents, I have directed staff to reintroduce exams or summative assessments in Grade 9 and 10, beginning in September 2025,” he said. “This practice will ensure students are prepared for their next courses or post-secondary pursuits.”
In 2022, a spokesperson for then-education minister Stephen Lecce said local decisions were made by schools and boards to determine if they would administer exams to determine final grades for secondary students.
In January 2023,
Grade 9 and 10 students at the OCDSB had a week off
unless their teachers asked them to come in to finish incomplete work. According to the OCDSB, exams were scrapped to better support the mental health and well-being of students.
Plamondon was appointed supervisor on June 27
as the Ford government announced it would be taking control of four school boards, including the OCDSB. The province said it had
appointed a supervisor to the OCDSB to address concerns of financial “mismanagement” and growing deficits.
In his email, Plamondon, who has had
a 35-year career in
governance, finance, public policy and public administration,
said the OCDSB’s operating challenges went beyond budgeting.
“Despite the dedicated efforts of teachers and staff, confidence among parents in the OCDSB has declined,” Plamondon said in the email. “Many believe the board lost focus on the fundamentals of education — impacting both trust and student enrolment.”
According to figures released last December, enrolment at the OCDSB increased by more than 200 students in the school year starting in September 2024, but that was
almost 1,000 fewer students than it had projected the previous spring
. Meanwhile, enrolment in the city’s other school boards has far outpaced growth at OCDSB.
The past year has been a tumultuous one for the board. In June, trustees
approved $18.1 million in budget cuts to its $1.244-billion budget
. Three
trustees have resigned
in less than a year.
Since he was appointed, Plamondon said he had met with central board staff, representatives of principals and vice-principals, the federation of nine unions representing the district, some trustees, incoming and outgoing student trustees, students and other outgoing staff.
“As the OCDSB supervisor, I am mandated by the Minister of Education to ensure the financial sustainability of the district. However, my top priority is student success and well-being. Achieving this requires strong engagement from staff — especially teachers — and from parents. It also requires that we direct our resources to where they matter most: the classroom,” Plamondon said.
“As I told school leaders, I work for the students, and by extension, their parents. This also means supporting educators, those who have chosen one of the most meaningful careers in society.”
Plamondon also addressed the OCDSB’s
elementary program review
, which included changes to French immersion, phasing out alternative schools and some special education classes, as well as
controversial school boundary changes
.
“Conversations are continuing with the ministry about this, and I will update you as soon as I have news to share,” he said. “While the discussion continues, I want to assure parents that no students will be required to move schools for the 2025-2026 school year.”
Changes to boundaries were not slated to begin until the school year starting in September 2026. Trustees heard in April that there would be
opportunities to “grandparent” children at their current schools
as school boundaries changed.
In his email, Plamondon invited parents to contact him directly at [email protected].
“Although supervision means elected trustees have no decision-making authority, I have asked staff to take extra steps to ensure the district remains open and responsive to parents, students, and the broader community,” he said.
“Supervision is not just a change in governance — it’s an opportunity to move quickly and make the positive changes our students need and deserve.”
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