Alberta Teachers Association comes out against province’s student screening policy

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on December 6, 2024.

news@medicinehatnews.com

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers Association, says teachers stand “firmly against” the province’s announcement it would be introducing enhanced literacy and numeracy screening tools for students K to Grade 5 starting in January.

“The Alberta Teachers Association stands firmly against the province’s plan to subject every kindergarten and elementary student in Grades 1-3 to unnecessary assessment.” says Schilling, who also says the province lied for suggesting the ATA was involved in the development of the news literacy and numeracy screening.

“The government’s suggestion that the association played a role in the development of its screening process and approval of the implementation is wrong and dishonest.”

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said Wednesday the province will roll out its updated screening framework to provide a “consistent, provincewide approach” to gauge students’ numeracy and literacy skills and provide targeted support to help.

This year the province began screening students from Grade 1 to 3, which will occur twice throughout the year, and says its “building on this new framework with a new screening for kindergarten students that will tell teachers, educational staff and parents where a child’s numeracy and literacy skills are and if they need help.”

Schilling says the government’s plan will require teachers to administer time-consuming tests, taking away available time for teaching.

“In a typical kindergarten class, five full days of teaching could be lost,” says Schilling.

The ATA suggests the province focus on supporting teachers to allow more individualized teachers for students whose learning is below their age standard.

“None of this should come as a surprise to the government, The associations position has been clearly and directly communicated to the education minister and senior officials,” says Schilling.

The province is investing $10 million in literacy and numeracy support funding this school year and has released resources and tutorial videos for teachers to help them screen and support students.

Schilling says teachers are forced to test each one of their students two or three times and are not provided sufficient targeted classroom support to the students in most need.

“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. That begins with properly funding public education,” Schilling said.

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