Provincial Testing
Students in Grades 6 and 9 write Provincial Achievement Tests. Grade 12 students write provincial Diploma Examinations.
Students write Achievement Tests in Grade 6 and 9, and an Individual Student Profile is provided to the school for each student’s educational record. The profile shows the student’s test results related to the standards for the course assessed. The school receives a second copy of the Individual Student Profile to distribute to the student’s parent or legal guardian. Grade 12 students receive their Diploma Examination results by mail from Alberta Education.
Provincial Achievement Test
Alberta Education permits school districts to set their own Provincial Achievement Test schedules within given dates. Please refer to individual school websites for the achievement test schedule.
Interpreting Results
In considering Achievement Test and Diploma Examination results, the number of students writing the tests and examinations (participation rate) is significant and important, particularly in our board that provides instruction to students in a diverse number of communities.
Alberta Education reports Achievement Test results in two different categories:
- Results for all students in Grades 6 and 9 who wrote the test
- Results for all students enrolled in Grades 6 and 9
This includes all students who wrote the test, as well as students who were absent and did not write the test.
It is important to note the number of students who wrote the examination. The fewer the students, the more carefully the results must be interpreted. Results on provincial assessment for individual students and for groups fewer than six students are not publicly released at the provincial or local level.
Achievement Test and Diploma Examination results provide only part of the overall picture of the province’s, school authority’s, school’s and student’s performance.
Many factors contribute to student achievement, including a student’s abilities, attitudes, motivations, aspirations, academic backgrounds and learning style. These factors also include students’ family circumstances, socio-economic backgrounds and community environments. It is therefore not appropriate to rank the performance of school districts, schools, students, or teachers on the basis of Achievement Test or Diploma Examination results.
Additional factors that contribute positively to student achievement include: high quality instructional programs, district and school-based planning and professional development, and incorporation of analysis results into school and district improvement plans.
In an addition to being a Catholic community committed to developing educational opportunities in the context of Gospel values, Elk Island Catholic School Division strives for excellence in instructional programming, ensuring a focus on factors which research indicates has direct impact on student achievement. These include:
- Safe and caring schools
- Quality teaching and learning
- Frequent and appropriate monitoring of student progress
- Instructional leadership
- Parent/Legal Guardian-school partnerships
- High expectations and requirements for students
Information on the multi-year results for Elk Island Catholic School Division and individual EICS schools is available online from Alberta Education.