As K-12 students settle into their first few weeks of classes in the new school year, the Department of Education, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District and the Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve et Labrador wish to advise students, teachers and parents that a decision has been made to suspend public exams for the 2021-22 school year.
While Newfoundland and Labrador has experienced less educational disruption than most other jurisdictions in Canada, this change is being made to ensure that students are assessed in a way that is reflective of both what they have learned and also the circumstances they have faced amidst the pandemic.
Throughout the pandemic, in lieu of standardized testing, educators have focused on student engagement and alternate means assessment. Supplementing traditional instructional and assessment practices in this way has had a positive impact on attendance, learning, engagement and the wellbeing of students. The department has confidence in the school districts, schools, and individual teachers to ensure completion of all prescribed curriculum in an engaging, active environment.
Officials within the department and the school districts are also undertaking an analysis of the status of public exams and assessment beyond this year, with a further update to be provided before the start of the 2022-23 school year.
As part of the Provincial Government’s commitment through the Education Action Plan to improve educational outcomes, this longer-term review will also look toward a model that will empower teachers to enrich, extend and/or shape curricular outcomes.
Quotes
“While our province’s schools have fared relatively well amidst the pandemic, we recognize that the long-term impacts of COVID-19 disruptions may not be fully understood for some time. I thank teachers for their continued efforts to support students in their learning journey and to encourage their progress and achievement. We are also looking forward to exploring new forms of assessment beyond this year that better reflect a modern educational environment.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Education
“The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District supports this approach as we look to ways to reimagine learning and assessment within the entire K-12 school environment. Our teachers are well-equipped to assess student progress and determine learning outcomes and we look forward to future discussions as to how we can better focus on student engagement and measure student learning.”
Tony Stack
CEO/Director of Education
Newfoundland and Labrador English School District
“The Conseil scolaire francophone provincial supports the decision to suspend public exams for the current school year. Student wellbeing is priority. The pandemic has interrupted many usual operations and has impacted human functionalities in different ways. However, we are confident that our teachers have the skills, competencies and access to the necessary resources to successfully assess their students individually and can personalize their educational practices accordingly. This is an opportunity to focus on innovation and modern practices to improve the future in education.”
Kim Christianson
Directrice générale de l’Éducation
Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador
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Annulation des examens publics pour l’année scolaire 2021‑2022 et étude en cours pour déterminer leur pertinence dans les années à venir
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Media contacts
Tina Coffey
Education
709-687-9903
tcoffey@gov.nl.ca
Cheryl Gullage
Newfoundland and Labrador English School District
709-758-0032
cherylgullage@nlesd.ca
Daniel Taïeb
Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre Neuve et Labrador
1-888-794-6324, 1-709-722-6324