The Alberta government plans to introduce legislation requiring early math and reading assessments in schools, part of a strategy it says will help address classroom complexity by identifying students who need extra support as early as possible.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides made the announcement on Nov. 3, saying that as more students with learning needs, behavioural challenges, and language barriers join schools, the province’s classrooms are becoming increasingly difficult to support effectively.
He said that by identifying learning needs early and providing extra support in math and reading—skills he called “very important for every single student”—the province aims to prevent knowledge gaps from turning into challenges that add to “classroom complexity.”…