Fraser Institute study reveals that there is a need for standardized testing across Canada

BY PAUL JUNOR

The release of a study titled, “Testing Canadian K-12 Students- Regional Variability, Room for Improvement,” on Wednesday, May 10^th, 2022, by the Fraser Institute reveals some interesting information.

The motto of the Institute, which is an independent, non-partisan, Canadian public policy think tank is, “If it measures, we measure it!”

Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being.

The press release states, “Province wide testing of K-12 students in most provinces could be improved by ensuring the tests are consistent, transparent, and count toward student’s grades or academic progression.”

Paige MacPherson, Associate Director of Education Policy at the Fraser Institute and co-author notes, “The decline of standardized testing in Canada has reduced the availability of important data that’s essential to understand how our education systems perform and how to help students improve.” The study indicates that it is possible to improve province wide student assessment programs (testing) across Canada by doing the following two things:

• Offering regular uniform testing at multiple grade levels
• Making school and district performance results available to the public, which would incentivize educational improvements among schools

The study highlights the variability in province wide testing programs across Canada. Alberta tests students in Grades six and nine as well as administers a diploma exam in Grade 12, which accounts for 30% of their final mark. The Alberta government announced it will start testing Grade three students.

Paige MacPherson for the Edmonton Journal notes, “This allows Alberta parents, students, teachers, principals, policymakers and the public to see-objectively-how students are doing, which schools are useful case studies for others to learn from, and where there’s room for growth.”

On the other hand, Saskatchewan, which is next to Alberta, does not conduct any K-12 provincial assessments of students. All other provinces have standardized testing in place although there is considerable variability among them. British Columbia currently administers a literacy and numeracy assessment in Grade 10 and a Grade 12 literacy assessment, as a replacement for course-based student exams, while Newfoundland and Labrador have increased their K-12 testing programs.

In Ontario, students in Grade three and six write: reading, writing, and math assessments and a Grade 10 literacy test, while in Quebec, students write Grade 10 and 11 curriculum-based exams in certain subjects. MacPherson states “Solid province wide student testing-beyond just classrooms tests by teachers can actually improve student achievement and provide direct accountability to parents and taxpayers.”