Education bill would make early years screening tests law for Alberta schools

A new education bill would make provincially mandated screening tests in literacy and numeracy codified in law — a first for Alberta government assessments.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the early years screening tests, which were first introduced in 2022, help teachers identify students with deficits early on.

“Teachers can then give targeted support before the problem becomes bigger,” Nicolaides said at a news conference at the legislature on Monday afternoon. “This means small issues don't turn into big ones, and students can get the help when they need it most in those early formative years.”

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However, critics of the government’s blanket testing approach say the screening tests are a waste of teachers’ time, a