Alberta Education is reducing the weighting of diploma exams this school year.
For the 2022-23 school year, diploma exam weighting will be reduced to 20 per cent. The province said the decision comes as students continue to address pandemic-related learning challenges.
Alberta Education said it received feedback from students, parents and education partners about learning loss and well-being issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since June of this year, I have met with over 40 public, separate and francophone school authorities and many other stakeholders and listened to their perspectives,” Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said in a statement.
“Changing the weight of diploma exams will reduce the burden on students while still giving them valuable exam writing experience. We’re making this temporary change to place less of a burden on students and improve their mental health.”
The weighting of diploma exams will return to 30 per cent in the 2023-24 school year, the Alberta government said in a news release Monday afternoon.
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The president of the College of Alberta School Superintendents said the board is supportive of the ministry’s decision to take a transitional approach to returning the weight of diploma exams to pre-pandemic levels.
“This decision is reflective of a recommendation an ad hoc committee of CASS made during the pandemic and takes a balanced approach between a return to normal and meeting the social and emotional needs of students,” Scott Morrison said in a statement.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association said it welcomed the change to how the exams are weighted, but also described the move “a stop-gap measure.”
“To truly address missed learning opportunities, the government needs to address the conditions of the classroom: smaller classes, more supports, additional teachers and educational assistants, and, finally, make diplomas optional,” the ATA said.
The statement from the teachers’ organization also added that the provincial government’s focus should be on “a co-ordinated and proactive approach to COVID management” that keeps “schools open as healthy, safe places to learn” rather than standardized testing.
Edmonton Catholic Schools said in a statement it is pleased with the one-year transition.
“We will endeavour to ensure our students continue to have meaningful and enriching learning experiences,” a spokesperson said.
Diploma exams are administered in November, January, April, June and August each year. In 2015, the government reduced the weighting of the exams from 50 per cent to 30 per cent.
In April and June 2020, diploma exams were cancelled because students were learning at home for the last few months of the school year due to the pandemic.
During the 2020-21 school year, all diploma exams were optional.
Last school year, diploma exams were cancelled in January and the remainder of the exams were weighted at 10 per cent.
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