Provincial tests tell parents:

2. Provincial tests tell parents: • how their child compares against provincial standards • whether the child is learning what he or she is expected to learn Benefits

3. Provincial tests help schools: • monitor student progress in relation to school achievement targets • improve classroom instructional processes by identifying relative strengths and weaknesses • develop action plans to increase student understanding in specific areas of the curriculum Benefits

4. Provincial tests tell Albertans: • how well Alberta students are learning the Alberta curriculum • which areas of the curriculum need improvement Benefits

5. Achievement Tests - Grade 3 English Language Arts Part A - Writing 70 minutes May Part B - Reading 60 minutes June Mathematics Timed Number Facts 6 minutes May Multiple Choice 60 minutes June

6. Achievement Tests - Grade 6 English Language Arts Part A - Writing 120 minutes May Part B - Reading 60 minutes June Mathematics Operations and Number Sense 30 minutes May Multiple Choice 60 minutes June Science Multiple Choice 60 minutes June Social Studies Multiple Choice 60 minutes June

7. Achievement Tests - Grade 9 English Language Arts Part A - Writing 120 minutes May Part B - Reading 75 minutes June Mathematics Multiple Choice 90 minutes June Science Multiple Choice 75 minutes June Social Studies Multiple Choice 75 minutes June

8. Achievement Tests - French French Language Arts – Grade 6 Partie A – Production écrite 120 minutes May Partie B - Lecture 60 minutes June French Language Arts – Grade 9 Parite A – Production écrite 120 minutes May Partie B - Lecture 75 minutes June Students in Francophone and French Immersion programs write the French language arts tests in addition to the English language arts tests. These students also write the translated versions of the mathematics, science and social studies tests.

9. Tips for parents • achievement tests are like any other test • excessive test rehearsals and coaching should be discouraged • one way parents can help their children is by supporting their development of strong reading skills

10. Achievement tests • achievement tests are aligned with the curriculum • the best preparation for achievement tests is classroom instruction based on the full range of learning outcomes in the Alberta curriculum

11. Test accommodations • may include larger print, Braille, audiotapes, a scribe, more time • help students with special test writing needs do their best • are aligned with daily instructional practice as outlined in the individual program plan

12. Teacher involvement • writing, revising and reviewing questions • setting standards • developing scoring guides • field testing • validating the tests • administering the tests • marking the tests

13. Use of test results • no single test can assess everything • large scale provincial testing is intended for use in conjunction with classroom assessment strategies • the clearest picture of student growth and development is gained when a wide variety of assessment information is considered

14. Report cards • the teacher is responsible for classroom assessment • teachers and school jurisdictions decide whether or not to use the results for the students’ final grades

15. Sample Question – Grade 3 Mathematics

16. Sample Question – Grade 3 Mathematics

17. Sample Question – Grade 3 Mathematics Core Learning Outcomes • estimating mass • using a standard unit (kg)

18. Sample Question – Grade 6 Science

19. Sample Question – Grade 6 Science

20. Sample Question – Grade 6 Science Core Learning Outcomes • Air, Aerodynamics and Flight theory • Identify elevators as the structure of an airplane that controls its descent

21. Sample Question – Grade 9 Social Studies From Clewson, Elmer U. Our Economy: How It Works. Menlo Park, Calif.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1980. Used on the Internet with permission of Dr. Elmer U. Clawson.

22. Sample Question – Grade 9 Social Studies From Clewson, Elmer U. Our Economy: How It Works. Menlo Park, Calif.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1980. Used on the Internet with permission of Dr. Elmer U. Clawson.

23. Sample Question – Grade 9 Social Studies Core Learning Outcome • Interpreting information to determine the main idea. From Clewson, Elmer U. Our Economy: How It Works. Menlo Park, Calif.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1980. Used on the Internet with permission of Dr. Elmer U. Clawson.

24. Provincial Expectations – Achievement Tests • Alberta Learning has shifted away from an expectation on achievement tests that 15% of students achieve the standard of excellence and at least 85% achieve the acceptable standard. • emphasis now placed on continuous improvement – comparing results to stated targets and performance over time

25. School Results – Grade 3 Results

26. School Results – Grade 6 Results

27. School Results – Grade 9 Results

28. Next Steps: School Councils and School Staff • What are the strengths of our instructional programs? • What are the areas requiring improvement? Discussion

29. Next Steps: School Councils and School Staff • What trends in achievement test results can we identify for our school over the past five years? • What factors could be contributing to our students’ performance? Discussion

30. Next Steps: School Councils and School Staff • What are our school achievement targets for this year? • What plans can we develop to address the areas requiring improvement and to help students to do their best? Discussion