N.B. student assessment results continue to decline in reading, math, science
CBC
New Brunswick student skills are on a steep decline, according to the latest assessments by PISA, the Program for International Student Assessment.
PISA has been looking at the academic progress of 15-year-old students in dozens of countries.
Its assessments present real-life challenges or complex scenarios that require students to use their skills in reading, math or science.
Based on its 2022 results, New Brunswick ranked in the bottom three in all subjects, said lead analyst Lucia Tramonte, a University of New Brunswick professor and co-director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy.
New Brunswick student performance was about a year and a half behind that of their peers in Canada and other OECD countries, Tramonte said.
Another worrisome result was the percentages of students who didn't achieve the minimum proficiency standard for sustainable development.
In math, that portion was 30 per cent, in reading 27 per cent, and in science 22 per cent.
"All students should be able to read, write, function with reading, math and science at a level that is sufficient for the challenges of global society," said Tramonte.
"The pocket of vulnerable students that are really struggling … is quite large," she said.
She hopes the province will "dig into the data and start asking some uncomfortable questions … like what's going on?"
The New Brunswick Teachers Association has a few ideas about that.
"Last month, teachers province wide spoke up in record numbers to call attention to the current realities in their classrooms," said president Peter Lagacy.
"They shared the countless complexities that undermine their attempts to support students and the critical shortage of certified teachers who are available to fill vacancies in the system, both current and future," he said.
Lagacy said the PISA results speak to an "urgent need" for direct investments at the classroom level, "so all children and youth can learn, have the positive educational experience they deserve, and ultimately build a better future for New Brunswickers."
As teachers continue to raise concerns about challenges in their classrooms, the Saskatchewan government has pledged to do better when it comes to education — including a plan to expand specialized support classrooms.
Three family members are suing the Alberta government and a company that operates an Edmonton group home, alleging both failed to take steps to prevent the death of 15-year-old Noah Gitsel.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
City staff are working on long-term plans to prevent toxic and smelly algae blooms at the Hamilton harbour – and short-term plans to mitigate blooms when they happen – but are cautioning residents that it's not the type of problem with a quick fix.
Another blockade of the Ambassador Bridge wouldn't play out like what happened in February 2022 — thanks to police being empowered to act faster and harder, according to a report that's going to Windsor city council next week.
On the first day of 2025, Alberta's default electricity rate is set to be replaced by the new "rate of last resort," in what the province says is a bid to protect consumers from a volatile electricity pricing landscape.
Canadians and Americans sit next to each other in the stands of a small Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., hockey arena to watch the Soo Thunderbirds face off against their cross-border rivals, Michigan's Soo Eagles.
A number of school bus routes in northwestern Ontario have been cancelled Wednesday after a dump of snow overnight in the region. A number of weather advisories also remain in effect in the region, including snow squall warnings in the Greenstone area.
Waterloo regional councillors have voted down a motion that would have asked the Waterloo Regional Police Service to cut $4 million from its proposed 2025 budget.
Residents of a neighbourhood in the heart of downtown Charlottetown hope to have a community garden in place on some vacant land by the time spring arrives.
Planting trees is a popular way to mitigate climate change, but in northern and Arctic regions, it may not be an effective solution.