This fall, schools completed the first round of literacy and numeracy testing for grades 1 to 3. This marks the first time that mandatory provincial assessments have been conducted at the beginning of the school year, and the first-time students in the earliest grades have been subjected to this type of testing.
Now that teachers have administered the fall round of these assessments, early signals and concerns related to the tests are beginning to emerge.
Less time for instruction, connection
The introduction of September assessments in grades 1 to 3 has added significant pressure for both teachers and students. ATA president Jason Schilling has been hearing from teachers across the province about challenges created by the fall assessments.
“This is the time of year teachers start to build relationships with students and help them learn routines,” said Schilling. “Testing is taking away from that and from the instructional time that teachers need with their new students.”
Some teachers have specifically raised concerns about the new fall testing for grade 1 students. Schilling said that, given that kindergarten is not mandatory in Alberta, students’ preparedness for school varies significantly.
“Some Grade 1 students being asked to do these tests can’t hold a pencil yet or don’t have the endurance to complete the assessments.”
Schilling also recounted teachers telling him that some of their young students, unfamiliar with the test format or the language, were unable to complete the assessments. In some cases, students began crying because they felt like they had failed. This does not accurately assess the student’s ability, Schilling said, and is not what education should be about.
“You want students coming into elementary to love school and want to be there every day, to be engaged in their learning, and these exams are disengaging kids in a way that is not serving them.”
Value versus impact
With more rounds of testing on the horizon, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides is stating that the assessments are aimed at creating early interventions for students.
“These assessments serve as a means to tell teachers, staff and parents where a student’s literacy and numeracy skills are,” Nicolaides said, “This will identify if a student needs a helping hand so they can get the intervention they need at an early age to ensure they build the fundamental skills necessary to succeed in the classroom and life.”
A second round of testing for grades 1 to 3 will be conducted in January, and a third assessment for students identified as needing additional support is coming in June. In addition to the testing for grades 1 to 3, screening assessments for kindergarten students are to begin in January 2025, and assessments for grades 4 and 5 will begin in 2026. Under the new structure, elementary students could be tested up to 32 times before leaving elementary school.
Nicolaides remains confident that these assessments will make a positive difference for students across the province. He also stated that the ministry is supporting teachers by extending the window to administer the fall assessments to three weeks and by providing resources to help teachers plan intervention lessons for their students.
Schilling notes, however, that administering additional assessments — from arranging for substitute coverage (where available) to completing data entry — adds yet another pressure point for teachers, who are facing larger and more complex classes and implementing new curriculum.
“We really need to look at the value versus the impact of these tests on both teachers and their students,” Schilling said.
Acknowledging that testing has its place in education, Schilling hopes that the education ministry will re-evaluate the mandated provincial assessments and engage in meaningful and ongoing consultations with teachers to ensure that students receive the education they deserve.
“Now that we’ve gone through the fall sitting, we need to assess what worked, what didn’t work, what the value is, what data we are getting out of them, and then how they will be supported down the road.”
