Saskatoon Public Schools must improve assessing early education students: auditor
Saskatchewan’s provincial auditor, Judy Ferguson, says Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) needs to better assess the development of kindergarten students and preparing them for primary grades.
SPS said in a statement it is working to address the issues laid out in the auditor’s report.
“At Saskatoon Public Schools, we understand the importance of early learning programming for preparing students for their future.”
The auditor’s report found that while SPS gives appropriate tools to collect information and provides sufficient guidance on how often to use them, some assessments were missing information such as dates of when they were completed.
Some kindergarten teachers were not aware of expectations on how often to perform assessments.
“Saskatoon Public management noted it expects teachers to assess student numeracy at least twice a year — at the beginning of the school year to provide a baseline, and at least once again throughout the school year to assess student progress — consistent with good practice. However, we found not all kindergarten teachers are aware of this expectation,” the report reads.
The report says three of five teachers tested did not document the date they completed numeracy, literacy, and phonological assessments on kindergarten students.
The provincial auditor also said analysis identified 47 kindergarten students who did not participate in the Early Years Evaluation—Teachers Assessment (EYE-TA), a tool that collects relevant information on student abilities such as social skills, cognitive skills, language and physical development. SPS did not have reasonable explanations for not reassessing 11 of the 47 students, the report says.
The auditor provided several recommendations, including ensuring SPS provides teachers and schools with written expectations about how often kindergarten students are assessed.
The report also recommends the school division confirm whether alternative tools used to assess key areas of students readiness to learn are suitable, provide kindergarten teachers with additional training and guidance on applying key instructional practices used to increase student readiness, and routinely analyze data to identify trends or areas of struggle.
Saskatchewan Teachers Federation President Patrick Maze says while assessments help, the education systems needs to do better when it comes to social barriers that might affect the academic experience for early education students.
He says students who may not be properly nourished, have difficulties with speech or medical issues like difficulty hearing or needing glasses may come to school less prepared.
“If it’s meant to provide data or provide information in order to support funding and support student learning then we’re all for it.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Israel gave U.S. last-minute warning about drone attack on Iran, Italian foreign minister says at G7
The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received 'last minute' information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, but didn't participate in the apparent attack, officials said.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.