Saskatchewan students put to the test

A move by the provincial
government likely won’t make students very happy – and parents and teachers
might not be too thrilled either.  Students
in elementary and high schools will now have to complete standardized tests.  

“Within Saskatchewan, our
students sometimes are not performing at a level comparable to other Canadian
students,” said Greg Miller, Assistant Deputy Minister of Education, who said
they consulted school boards before making the decision.   

Saskatchewan students have
consistently performed below the national average in reading, math and science,
so by 2016, all students from grades 4 to 12 will complete standardized tests
each year. It’s a major expansion of an existing program. The province hopes it
will provide better feedback on where to aim resources.   

“The main focus of these
assessments is – are the students achieving the curriculum outcomes that we
want them to achieve?” Miller said.   

Some, though, are confused
by the move.  According to an
international assessment, PISA scores indicate Canada ranks in the top
ten.  Dr. Mark Spooner, a University of
Regina professor in the Faculty of Education, who also teaches a class on
assessment and evaluation, calls the decision a solution to a “non-problem.”  

“I’m not sure what they’re
responding to. There is no problem with our education system. In fact, we have
one of the best in the entire world,” said Dr. Spooner.  

He pointed out the
countries who’ve outpaced Canada in education have actually moved away from standardized testing. He said
not only are standardized tests unnecessary, they cause stress to teachers and
students and take away valuable time for the type of learning that has the most
impact on students.