FREDERICTON (GNB) – The 2021-22 provincial assessment results are now available online. These results will help guide the education system’s response to the challenges it faced over the past two years.

“I want to thank all our teachers, administrators and staff for their hard work and dedication over the past two years,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. “While there are certainly areas that require attention, it is the incredible levels of engagement and flexibility of our teachers that has enabled student progress despite numerous challenges.”

Provincial assessments are conducted yearly in literacy, numeracy and sciences to target improvements and interventions in these subject areas. In the francophone sector, assessments are carried out in grades 2-4 and 6-8. For the anglophone sector, assessments are done in grades 4, 6, 9, 10 and 12.

Since a number of assessments were paused in the 2020-21 school year, particularly in the francophone sector, and no results were available for the 2019-20 school year, not all results are directly comparable to previous years. In addition, work to modernize and increase inclusivity and accessibility in the assessment process is ongoing.

Findings of the 2021-22 assessments:

• Learning results in the anglophone sector generally remained stable again this year.
• While Grade 4 reading assessment results in the anglophone sector showed a slight decrease, Grade 6 scores increased and English Language Proficiency in Grade 9 remained stable.
• Most of the results in the francophone sector show significant provincewide impacts on student learning over the past three years.
• Reading assessments for Grade 3 and 7 in the francophone sector remained fairly stable.
• Math assessments, at all grade levels in the francophone sector, show the greatest declines.
• While students in the anglophone sector continue to report feelings of anxiety and depression, it is encouraging that they also continue to perceive learning as important and report having strong connections within their schools.

“We know that the mental health and overall wellbeing of our students is crucial for their long-term success,” said Cardy. “That is why we have made significant investments into supporting learning, mental health and ensuring students – and teachers – have access to the resources they need for our students to succeed. We are confident that our teachers have the skills and expertise they need to support our students in the long term. We will continue to work with the education system to ensure any needed support is made available.”

Before the beginning of each school year, the department works with school districts and key early childhood partners to develop an implementation plan for each sector, which outlines objectives for the year and how goals will be met. Assessment results will help in the development of plans and in tracking and measuring progress and performance.

The 10-year education plans set objectives in priority areas to encourage students to become lifelong learners, create an inclusive learning environment, support educational leaders and bring stability to the system.