According to a provincial news release, recent results show Alberta students making strides in academic recovery following COVID-19 disruptions. Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) for grades 6 and 9 and diploma exams for grade 12 students reveal progress across key subjects.
The 2023-24 test results, published by Alberta’s Ministry of Education, show grade 6 students made significant gains in science and social studies, with improvements in both "acceptable" and "excellence" achievement standards.
Grade 9 students also demonstrated increased scores in social studies and science for the acceptable standard and in math and science for the excellence standard. For grade 12 students, progress was made in most subjects for both acceptable and excellent standards, indicating a positive trend in recovery.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said, "The 2023-24 diploma exams and Provincial Achievement Test results strongly indicate that learning gaps caused by the pandemic are closing. We recognize opportunities for improvement, but I am confident that through our investments, proposed legislation amendments, and enhanced assessments, our K-12 students will gain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed."
To continue addressing these gaps, Alberta’s government has rolled out several initiatives, including a $1.5 billion investment for specialized learning needs, which includes $44 million earmarked for added staffing to help manage complex classroom dynamics in the 2024-25 school year.
An early years assessment framework now supports literacy and numeracy skills from Kindergarten to Grade 5, identifying students who need additional help early on.
Dennis MacNeil, president of the Public School Board Association of Alberta, noted: "It is encouraging to see the progress the students have made since returning to the classrooms. The results are a reminder of how important government funding is to public school education programs to continue to close this gap and have students not only reach pre-pandemic success but excel past it."
The province has also allocated $85 million in "learning disruption" funding since 2021, targeting foundational skills in younger students to support their academic journey in later grades. In addition, over the past two years, $10 million has been spent to clear backlogs in specialized assessments, aiding thousands of students needing support in areas like speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychology.
Dr. Clint Moroziuk, president of the College of Alberta School Superintendents, praised the collective effort, saying, "CASS celebrates the strategic contributions of all partners working within local school authorities for enabling students to experience such impressive gains in their learning."
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