Alberta’s education system is grappling with a significant increase in elementary school testing, especially in literacy and numeracy. This surge has added roughly four extra days of work to teachers’ responsibilities, all while they adapt to a new curriculum. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), in collaboration with Richelle Marynowski from the University of Lethbridge, examined these Standardized Diagnostic Assessment Tests (SDATs) and found that the classroom realities sharply contrast with the government’s goals for the tests.
Key findings from ATA research
1. Negative impact on students
SDATs are causing stress and anxiety, especially for younger students, English language learners (ELLs) and those with exceptionalities. Teachers report that the timed nature of tests creates undue pressure. “Children are coming to school and all they want to do is perform well…. Many develop a sense of failure,” one respondent noted. Misaligned content exacerbates frustration and erodes confidence.
2. Limited usefulness of results
Teachers describe the SDAT results as delayed and unhelpful. One commented, “We won’t get the results… until the end of April. It makes no sense.” Without timely feedback or actionable insights, teachers continue to rely on their professional judgment to identify struggling students far earlier, rendering the assessments redundant. The findings suggest the SDATs function more as accountability tools than as meaningful diagnostic instruments.
3. Misalignment with curriculum and developmental needs
Teachers report that the tests assume knowledge of outcomes not yet taught, disregarding individual learning stages. One teacher highlighted, “The tests assume all students are capable of demonstrating understanding, regardless of ELL levels, communication delays or prior exposure.” This mismatch undermines the effectiveness of the SDATs.
4. Lack of support and resources
Insufficient training and inadequate substitute teacher availability compound the challenges of administering SDATs. Teachers frequently use personal time to manage technical demands, a strain exacerbated by the lack of systemic support. One teacher shared they received “no sub time provided to administer or input data,” emphasizing the need for better resource allocation.
5. Excessive time demands
SDATs consume valuable instructional time, with teachers losing an estimated four full days. “September and October are busy months trying to get to know students and establish routines. Adding additional expectations was exhausting,” one respondent said. This raises questions about the priorities driving these assessments.
6. Inadequate training for teachers
A staggering 82 percent of teachers reported that they received no training in interpreting SDAT results but only had self-directed learning. Many found the data unclear and unhelpful, with one teacher stating, “No one has told me what these scores mean. There is no median or average dataset to see if students are at level.”
Call to action
ATA President Jason Schilling summarized teachers’ frustration with the SDATs.
“What teachers need is the discretion to decide when diagnostic testing can be useful and the ability to provide timely, impactful support for all students,” he said.
Schilling urges the government to refocus on fostering responsibility — teachers’ ability to respond and address students’ unique and diverse needs in real time — over the imposition of accountability metrics that are seen as low value in improving student learning.
“Given our research, I encourage the government to assess the value of their own assessments,” Schilling said.
Current policies risk reducing education to a simple set of numbers, neglecting the professional judgment and human connection vital to teaching and learning. Alberta’s students and teachers deserve a system valuing support and empowerment over bureaucratic data collection for those far away from students and their human potential. ❚