Alberta curriculum review urges focus on basic learning, standardized tests

CALGARY – A panel reviewing Alberta’s education curriculum is urging the province to stick to the basics and emphasize standardized testing.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange was at St. Marguerite School in southeast Calgary Wednesday to talk about the next steps of the UCP’s curriculum review.

Last August, Premier Jason Kenney announced a panel would look over the current education curriculum, overturning a similar review from the previous NDP government.

Kenney and LaGrange have criticized that review calling it “secretive.”

RELATED:
Panel to oversee Alberta’s school curriculum review
ATA has concerns over curriculum review

LaGrange said the panel recommends the social studies curriculum reflect the importance of natural resources to Alberta’s economy.

This comes after LaGrange tweeted a photo that showed a Grade 10 test question asking what an appropriate opponent is to the oilsands.

https://twitter.com/Tommy_Slick/status/1222587577024167936

The panel also says standard tests to evaluate literacy and numeracy in grades one through five are needed to catch and correct any learning difficulties.

Its members are also urging a focus on basic learning with clear outcomes.

They say students need to be exposed to potential job and career opportunities outside the classroom, and input from employers should be part of curriculum development.

LaGrange also said subjects such as sex education and world events like the Holocaust would be taught at “age-appropriate” times, though no specific details were given.

https://twitter.com/Tommy_Slick/status/1222582682904752129

The panel is still receiving input from the public on the curriculum and LaGrange said there’s no timeline on when any changes will come into effect until after they receive more feedback. The recommendations are already generating some negative reaction from both the Alberta Teacher’s Association and the opposition NDP.

An ATA representative was also in the school watching the announcement, and said this was the first time he saw the report.

“We had no advance information about this report or what was in it,” said ATA spokesperson Jonathon Teghtmeyer. “I think the indication that we came here just to listen and find out about this report speaks to the involvement and the engagement of the association as part of this process.”

“I’m worried that this report and this panel is indicative of government not necessarily going out and doing meaningful consultation with the people that matter on the files that matter.”

Teghtmeyer said they also have concerns about the makeup of the panel, which does not include any active teachers.

Further, he added that the mention of expanding assessments in the form of standardized testing is a concern, especially if it means more of these tests for younger students.

The NDP also pushed back on the UCP calling their work “secretive”, with Education Critic Sarah Hoffman saying they need to know what the education minister will now do with the recommendations.

“Now that the outward-facing work has been and the work is going to happen behind closed doors, is the Minister going to act on the things that she said she wasn’t going to?” Hoffman said. “So is she going to be pushing hard attacks on vulnerable youth like LGBTQ youth and others who are feeling marginalized already from this government?”

Hoffman also added that there was a lack of specific information in the news conference, and there is no point in abolishing all the work the NDP did.

Panel member Glenn Feltham acknowledged that the “bones” of the previous curriculum were still good and a nice building point, but there was no mention as to what specifically they had wrong with the NDP plan apart from deriding things like discovery math.

Finally, the Save Our Students Alberta Foundation — a public education advocacy group — said emails sent to the Minister have gone unanswered and said LaGrange “evaded almost every pressing question” from reporters about details of the report.

They also note issues with a focus on standardized testing, moving children into the workforce, and language which to them gives the impression K-12 education is an “assembly line and children are the final product.”

–With files from The Canadian Press