Photo 151208691 © Serezniy | Dreamstime.com

By rdnewsNOW Staff

ASSESSING NUMERACY AND LITERACY SKILLS

Alberta government develops new assessments for young students

Jul 11, 2024 | 5:45 PM

The Government of Alberta says it is introducing an education system designed to catch learning gaps early, while aiming to ensure no student falls through the cracks.

Through a phased-in approach, government officials say students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 will be assessed on their foundational literacy and numeracy skills. This should allow teachers and educational staff to identify areas where students may need an extra hand earlier on in a student’s education journey, officials point out.

“Supporting our youngest learners as they develop essential literacy and numeracy skills is fundamental for their success in school and life,” says Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education. “These skills are the foundation for living, working and succeeding in our modern world. These additional assessments will tell teachers, schools and parents about potential learning issues and better position them to support students.”

Under the new requirements, beginning in fall 2024, students in Grades 1 to 3 will be assessed twice a year, and students receiving extra support will be assessed a third time in June to monitor their progress.

In January 2025, the government says an early literacy and numeracy screening will be introduced for Kindergarten students, and in September 2026, there will be new screening requirements for students in Grades 4 and 5.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

“Research studies around the world have clearly shown that there should be early screening and frequent monitoring of children’s reading and mathematics performance,” says Dr. George K. Georgiou, a professor in the faculty of education at the University of Alberta. “Alberta’s new framework for Early Learning Assessments is perfectly in line with this research. Early screening and monitoring of children’s literacy and numeracy skills is a human right, and I am happy to see Alberta’s government prioritize this.”

Provincial officials say the new assessment framework was developed with input from school authorities, academic experts and other education stakeholders. School authorities will be provided with a list of approved assessments for staff and will have the autonomy to select the screening and assessment tools needed to support their students. Officials say the assessments will enable school authorities to make local decisions to better support students’ specialized learning needs.

—