It would be unfortunate to overlook Manitoba’s longstanding poor record of student achievement because of its recent reinstatement of grade 12 testing. Yes, of course, this decision restores some vestige of accountability. But unfortunately, it is too little.
At the turn of this century, Manitoba joined Alberta in using province-wide standardized testing to achieve better education for students. Alberta led Canadian provinces on standardized testing results for many years.
Manitoba, however, fell to the bottom in student achievement comparisons after Premier Doer fulfilled his election promise of ridding the province of grade 3 testing.
By 2003, Manitoba had dropped to 5th place on the international PISA test w\hile PEI scored 10th. By 2009, Manitoba placed 9th with PEI continuing in last place. In 2012, nothing changed – Manitoba was 9th followed by PEI in 10th.
During these years, Alberta averaged near the highest in the nation and, indeed, in the entire world.
PEI is a useful benchmark because that province never introduced standardized testing for fear of alienating its teachers’ union. In fact, PEI turned down an offer from Alberta to use its standardized tests free of charge.
With so much failure in its education system, PEI finally introduced standardized testing in 2007 producing a gradual but amazing climb from last place to much higher levels of student success at 6th and 5th. PEI’s leadership deserves special praise for biting the bullet and finally overcoming years of provincial failure in education.
Manitoba, unfortunately, continues to flounder near the bottom of the Canadian rankings and, in 2018, placed last in Science and Mathematics. So far, the PC government in Manitoba. has not realized that improving student learning can be achieved by incorporating standardized testing in grades 3 and 6 while maintaining assessments for grades 10 and 12.
Coincidentally, Alison Redford successfully managed to become Alberta Premier in 2012, partly, by promising to eliminate grade 3 testing in her province. And Alberta is no longer the undisputed leader.
Pandering to teachers’ unions by shunning school system accountability by degradingstandardized testing harms students quest for high-quality education. These tests provide assurances to both taxpayers and post-secondary institutions that students know the core material.
The many detractors of standardized testing point to student concerns regarding high rates of child poverty, weak parenting skills, and students struggling with social issues.
However, should teachers consider out-of-school factors a sufficient reason for boosting students’ marks in school achievement?
There is considerable evidence that without standardized tests, teacher-assigned grades are, in fact, often inflated. An important purpose of a standardized curricular test is to determine how well students have learned the material. Of course, the tests also reveal how well teachers have taught their students. When teachers spend more time teaching the core curriculum, students are more likely to learn it. And standardized tests are the only way to know how well students have learned in comparison with other students locally, provincially, nationally, and internationally.
This practice is the essence of excellent teaching! Some teachers are, in fact, more proficient than others, and this is revealed by standardized testing. For this reason, union leaders often oppose standardized tests.
Detractors of standardized testing may urge Manitoba’s withdrawal from international and national assessments. Such a decision would then conveniently remove any information regarding this province’s perpetual poor student achievement. Of course, Manitoba students would suffer if this happened.
Jim Dueck is a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. He is a retired teacher, principal, superintendent, and former Assistant Deputy Minister of Education in Alberta. He has a Doctorate in Education and has published 11 books emphasizing accountability within the education system.
