Yk parents demand scores

Students file out of Ecole Sir John Franklin high school Friday afternoon. Several parent advisory committees are sending a letter to Yk No. 1 school trustees demanding the release of Alberta Achievement Test results from 2005. - Jessica Gray/NNSL photo

Yk parents demand scores

Jessica Gray
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 10/06) - Parents are gearing up for a fight to see results of Alberta Achievement Tests.

Yellowknife Education District No. 1 trustees have so far refused to release the results, saying they are following the direction of Education Minister Charles Dent.

That's not good enough, said Louise Elder-Riordan, chair of the Range Lake North elementary school parent advisory committee (PAC).

"We believe we have the right to have this information," said Elder-Riordan.

"We should be able to hold the people who take care of our children accountable."

She said that while parents can get results for their children, not being able to compare them to overall results makes the scores meaningless.

"Results in isolation are not useful."

Late last year, Dent said he wouldn't release territorial results because the 2004-2005 school year was the first time students in many regions had written the tests.

However, News/North was able to obtain a copy of the results.

Rob Meckling, former Yk No. 1 trustee and chair of Sir John Franklin parents committee, said the board always used to release overall results.

"The purpose of the tests is to see if students are learning what they're expected to learn," said Meckling.

He said parent committees are drafting a letter to the board outlining concerns about test secrecy and other issues. That's expected to be before the board Tuesday night.

Yellowknife Catholic Schools released its test results last fall.

Yk No. 1 board chair Reanna Erasmus was not available for comment, but during the March 21 board meeting refused requests from several school PACs to release the results.

"We are in agreement not to release those results," said Erasmus because test results are not the best way to see if students are learning.

Elder-Riordan said her group has asked for the results many times, only to be rebuffed because the department of education doesn't want to single out certain rural schools in the NWT.

A spokesperson for Alberta Education said Alberta school districts release results to the public.