‘Unclear and unhelpful’: Alberta Teachers’ Association trashes new kindergarten testing

The Alberta Teachers’ Association is pushing back against new mandatory tests they claim set young learners up to fail and take too much teacher time.

It’s a response to new literacy and numeracy assessments for kindergarten kids that’s mandated by the province and started this month.

“The tests contain content that students haven’t even learned yet, which contributes to student frustration and erosion of confidence,” ATA President Jason Schilling told reporters in Edmonton Wednesday.

“Eighty-two per cent of teachers reported they received no training in interpreting the test results. Many teachers found the data of these results to be unclear and unhelpful.”

Schilling says there is an opt-out process available to parents, but it’s a complicated one to manage. Provincial regulations also allow a superintendent to excuse a child from the tests if they are unable to complete them or if “participation would be harmful to the child or the student.”

‘Leave them alone’

Jessie Thompson has 4 kids in school. She agrees with the ATA that standardized testing of all kinds has gotten out of control.

“They’re trying to make the people more educated, I get that, but they’re pushing people way too hard and it’s stressing everyone out,” Thompson told CityNews after picking up her kids.

“These young ones, leave them alone. Let them be kids and have fun,” agreed Penny O’Neill, Thompson’s mother.

But in an update delivered last month, the government and a local expert said there is data showing early assessments work.

“This policy will be creating a safety net where all the kids who need early intervention will be accurately identified and provided with the right type of instruction,” said Dr. George Georgiou from the University of Alberta.

In a Wednesday statement, the education minister said the ATA is “wrong” and “misleading” Albertans by referring to the assessments as standardized tests.

“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,” Demetrios Nicolaides wrote in a statement.

“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.”

Alberta also recently added new screenings for students in grades one, two and three. Those tests happen twice a year and three times for students who need extra help.