From the CBE:
"Recently, Alberta Education let us know that Provincial Achievement Tests
(PATs) will be replaced with Student Learning Assessments (SLAs). These new
diagnostic assessments will be administered at the beginning of the school year
rather than at the end of the school year.
Moving testing to the start of the school year provides students, parents and
teachers with timely information about each Grade 3 student. This information
can be used throughout the school year to build on each student’s strengths and
address challenges as needed.
Alberta Education is replacing all Grade 3 PATs with Student Learning
Assessments (SLAs) in 2015. The plan is for PATs to be phased out gradually as
SLAs are phased in. Grade 3 PATs will be phased out first, with SLAs being
administered to incoming Grade 3 students as early as September 2014. We are
excited to be a part of this pilot opportunity that will help shape this tool
for the benefit of students, teachers and parents.
As the 2013-14 school year is a transition year, Alberta Education gave
school boards the option of participating in the old PAT testing program for
Grade 3. We have decided CBE students in Grade 3 will not be writing PATs this
June. To reach this decision, we worked with principals, school communities, our
teacher advisory group, other school jurisdictions and the Alberta Teachers’
Association.
Moving to SLAs aligns with the vision outlined in Alberta Education’s
Inspiring Education, where education systems are more responsive to the
learning needs of individual students. This also aligns with our vision of
personalized learning; to adjust learning to the needs of each student.
For more information about SLAs, visit
Alberta Education."
From the CBE:
