Dear parents/guardians of students in grades 4 and 7,
I am writing to let you know that the Ministry of Education and Child Care has advised that the Foundation Skills Assessments (FSA) will be conducted from October 2 to November 10, 2023. These provincial assessments of student literacy and numeracy skills are mandated by the Ministry of Education and Child Care in the Student Learning Assessment Order of the School Act and are administered to students in grades 4 and 7. Provincial literacy assessments are also administered to students in grades 10 and 12 and a provincial numeracy assessment is administered to students in grade 10, with the results of these assessments recorded on the student’s permanent graduation transcript.
The Ministry of Education and Child Care FSA guidelines authorize school principals to identify students who may be excused from one, two or all three components of the FSA. Students may only be excused in consultation with the student’s parent or guardian. Exemptions are typically granted to students in the following categories:
- Students whose personalized learning standards significantly differ from provincial curricular standards for their grade as documented in their individual education plan;
- Students who are funded as English Language Learners who have not yet reached a level of proficiency to provide meaningful responses; and
- Students experiencing extenuating circumstances such as a family emergency or lengthy illness.
Please review the Foundation Skills Assessment for Parents and Caregivers brochure prepared by the Ministry of Education and Child Care. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the principal at your child’s school.
Sincerely,
Harry Dhillon
Superintendent of Schools