Province responds to ATA criticisms around kindergarten standard testing

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on January 11, 2025.

The Minister of Education is speaking out after the Alberta Teachers Association shared concerns around standardized diagnostic assessment testing that will be subjected to kindergarten students beginning Jan. 13.

Wednesday, ATA president Jason Schilling told reporters the government-mandated testing consumes significant learning time, and the data interpreted from the test results are unclear and unhelpful.

However on Thursday in an email to the News, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the ATA’s characterization of these tools as standardized tests is misleading.

“Rather, these are screeners that gauge a student’s literacy and numeracy strengths. I’m really unsure why anyone would object to giving our teachers every possible tool to help their students,” says Nicolaides, saying the tests are “grounded in scientific research” and developed by academics at the University of Alberta.

“These quick screeners can accurately identify 95 per cent of students who will later develop reading difficulties,” he says. “I am confident that parents would appreciate these insights, and I’m further confident that teachers and schools would benefit from knowing which learners need more help.”

The minister says numerous international studies show that students who start school with weaker reading skills run a higher risk of falling behind their peers academically.

“I want to make sure every student has the greatest possible strength in reading, writing and math,” he says.

The ATA says the tests are not age-appropriate for kindergarten students, covers topics kids haven’t even learned yet and will cause unnecessary stress on students and staff.

The teachers association also says the tests waste valuable learning time, as each takes roughly 30 minutes per student to complete, with an average classroom size of 30 students. The ATA estimates a loss of between three and five learning days.

In a December press release, the province says it’s vital to identify and support students as early as possible, and believes the newly rolled out enhanced literacy and numeracy screening tools will help identify students who struggle with reading, writing and basic math.

“Some children struggle with developing these fundamental skills in the early years of their education, and without timely identification and intervention, they are at risk of falling through the cracks,” states the Dec. 4 press release.

Alberta teachers say they need to have professional discretion to decide when and if that testing can be useful and impactful to students, and are already aware of which students are struggling in their day-to-day classroom activities.

According to the ATA, 82 per cent of teachers received no training in interpreting the test results, and many report finding the data unclear and unhelpful.

However, the province says school authorities are being supported in delivering screening with approved free screening tools and an extended window of administration of three weeks.

The minister also says teachers have access to a variety of resources to help them plan intervention lessons for their students.

Kindergartners in the province will be taking the standardized testing from Jan. 13 until Jan. 31.