Alberta's Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has responded to the Alberta Teachers’ Association's (ATA) recent criticism on enhanced literacy and numeracy screening tools for kindergarten through Grade 5.
ATA president Jason Schilling explained this is the first time in Alberta's history that teachers are now mandated to test kindergarten students.
"It's a move that has teachers across the province scratching their collective heads and questioning the purpose, value and timing of these tests for our youngest students."
Schilling also believes these assessments cause stress and anxiety, especially for younger students whose developmental levels and learning rates vary greatly.
According to the province, the initiative aims to identify young learners needing additional support in developing foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
The new screening measures include consistent assessments for kindergarten students across the province and the existing twice-yearly screenings for students in Grades 1 to 3 that began in fall 2024.
Minister Nicolaides believes the recent comments by the ATA last week are incorrect.
"The ATA’s characterization of these tools as standardized tests is wrong and 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.
"These screeners are grounded in scientific research, developed right in Alberta by academics at the University of Alberta. These quick screeners can accurately identify 95 per cent of students who will later develop reading difficulties.
"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.
"Our government will always be focused on improving student learning, and these tools are an example of our commitment. Numerous studies from around the world show that students who start school with weaker reading skills run a higher risk of falling behind their peers and staying behind, and I want to make sure every student has the greatest possible strength in reading, writing and math."
According to the province, Kindergarten students participate in literacy and numeracy screeners in January of each year. Students in grades 1-3 are assessed in September and January, with an additional assessment in June for students identified as needing support.
The government invested $10 million in literacy and numeracy support funding for the 2024-25 school year. According to the province, the funding will help school authorities access resources, including tutorial videos, lesson plans, and activities tailored to different grade levels.
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