MLAs urge government to eliminate Grade 3 achievement tests
J-C Couture, ATA Staff Officer, Government
Grade 3 achievement tests won’t disappear overnight, but MLAs took a first step forward March 16 when they adopted Motion 503 by a vote of 29 to 18.
Sponsored by Bonnyville–Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw, the motion urges the government "to eliminate provincial achievement tests for grade three students and consider alternative assessments for learning." While the government is not obliged to act on the motion, its adoption marks a symbolic turning point in the province’s approach to student assessment and reporting.
From the outset of the hour-long debate, it was apparent that Leskiw had succeeded in positioning her motion as an effort to move the province toward a more balanced approach to student assessment, evaluation and accountability. Reinforcing her message that "teachers are ultimately responsible for evaluating and reporting students’ progress," she stressed the importance of developing an alternative to the current Grade 3 achievement tests.
Calgary–Varsity MLA Harry Chase expanded on Leskiw’s message by taking a broader view of the issue of Grade 3 testing. "If the government is truly concerned about the level of learning, then [it’s] got to give some credit to the teachers" instead of committing scarce resources to its growing testing bureaucracy, he said. In his view, support for the motion marks "a first step" in addressing the larger systemic issues associated with the government’s current testing programs.
What was remarkable about the 15 MLAs who rose to speak to the motion was their consistent focus on the need to find a more effective way to assess student learning in the early years. Both Heather Forsyth, MLA for Calgary–Fish Creek, and Guy Boutilier, MLA for Fort McMurray–Wood Buffalo, spoke of the need to open a dialogue among education partners about the creation of diagnostic assessments that would build teachers’ capacity to respond to the learning needs of Alberta’s increasingly diverse student population.
Although he voted in opposition to Motion 503, Minister of Education Dave Hancock was quick to acknowledge that the debate helped raise important questions, including questions key to his dialogue with Albertans about the nature of the 21st-century learner. In an informal debriefing with Alberta Teachers’ Association President Frank Bruseker and a group of local presidents and teachers following the vote, Hancock reiterated his statement in the house that "if we are going to change what we are doing, we need to know what we are going to do."
Reflecting on the remarkable events of the day, Bruseker acknowledged the impact of the hard work and dedication of local teacher-leaders across the province who took to heart the key messages of the Association’s Real Learning First initiative. "Many MLAs who spoke in support of finding an alternative to the current Grade 3 tests had obviously considered carefully the compelling case put forward by teachers and parents—that the time and resources committed to the current testing regime would be better spent on diagnostic tools and supports for students in the early years of learning," he said. "With this important vote behind us, we look forward to continued dialogue with the minister on ways to move forward."
How they voted
MLAs adopted Motion 503 by a vote of 29 to 18.
For
The Honourable Cindy Ady, Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation and MLA for Calgary-Shaw
Rob Anderson, MLA for Airdrie–Chestermere
Manmeet Bhullar, MLA for Calgary-Montrose
Guy Boutilier, MLA for Fort McMurray–Wood Buffalo
Neil Brown, MLA for Calgary-Nose Hill
Pearl Calahasen, MLA for Lesser Slave Lake
Harry Chase, MLA for Calgary-Varsity
Jonathan Denis, MLA for Calgary-Egmont
Arno Doerksen, MLA for Strathmore-Brooks
Wayne Drysdale, MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti
Doug Elniski, MLA for Edmonton-Calder
Heather Forsyth, MLA for Calgary-Fish Creek
The Honourable George Groeneveld, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and MLA for Highwood
Kent Hehr, MLA for Calgary-Buffalo
Broyce Jacobs, MLA for Cardston–Taber–Warner
Art Johnston, MLA for Calgary-Hays
Darshan Kang, MLA for Calgary-McCall
Genia Leskiw, MLA for Bonnyville–Cold Lake
Brian Mason, Leader of the New Democrat Opposition and MLA for
Edmonton-Highlands–Norwood
Len Mitzel, MLA for Cypress–Medicine Hat
Rachel Notley, MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona
Verlyn Olson, MLA for Wetaskiwin–Camrose
Bridget Pastoor, MLA for Lethbridge-East
Dave Quest, MLA for Strathcona
George Rogers, MLA for Leduc–Beaumont–Devon
Raj Sherman, MLA for Edmonton-Meadowlark
Kevin Taft, MLA for Edmonton-Riverview
Greg Weadick, MLA for Lethbridge-West
Teresa Woo-Paw, MLA for Calgary-Mackay
Against
Ken Allred, MLA for St. Albert
Naresh Bhardwaj, MLA for Edmonton-Ellerslie
The Honourable Lindsay Blackett, Minister of Culture and Community Spirit and MLA for Calgary-North West
Robin Campbell, MLA for West Yellowhead
Cal Dallas, MLA for Red Deer-South
The Honourable Ray Danyluk, Minister of Municipal Affairs and MLA for Lac La Biche–St Paul
Alana DeLong, MLA for Calgary-Bow
Kyle Fawcett, MLA for Calgary-North Hill
The Honourable Yvonne Fritz, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and MLA for Calgary-Cross
The Honourable Dave Hancock, Minister of Education and MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud
Fred Horne, MLA for Edmonton-Rutherford
The Honourable Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports and MLA for Red Deer-North
Jeff Johnson, MLA for Athabasca–Redwater
The Honourable Ron Liepert, Minister of Health and Wellness and MLA for Calgary-West
Thomas Lukaszuk, MLA for Edmonton-Castle Downs
Frank Oberle, MLA for Peace River
The Honourable Rob Renner, Minister of Environment and MLA for Medicine Hat
Tony Vandermeer, MLA for Edmonton-Beverly–Clareview
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