YELLOWKNIFE (February 28, 2012) – The Northwest Territories results for the 2011 Alberta Achievement Tests (AAT), Functional Grade Levels (FGL) and attendance were released today.

“The results are important indicators that help us track student performance and the success of the education system in the Northwest Territories,” says the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Jackson Lafferty. “We are able to spot areas of concern and address them.”

The results indicate that attendance must continue to be an area of focus.  For the 2010-11 school year, average attendance was 84.3% across grades K to 12.  Attendance affects how students perform in the education system and provides a strong foundation for learning and success.  During the Aboriginal Student Achievement forums, Aboriginal leaders, education leaders, community members and youth consistently identified attendance as an area of concern.  In 2011, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment launched a campaign throughout the NWT school system, focusing on rewards for attendance.  The feedback from schools has been favourable, and a number of schools have continued the campaign for the 2011-12 school year.

There is a promising increase in both the FGLs and AATs over the last few years in English Language Arts, however, increases and decreases can fluctuate from year to year without being statistically significant.  Variables like population, cultural and language disparities, and differing support structures can affect a student’s developmental level, which requires a greater focus on the early years, and endorses the concept of education as a shared responsibility.

Literacy is a key area of focus to improve student success.  The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is providing funding and professional development for literacy coaches in each region of the NWT as part of the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. In August 2011, Minister Lafferty tabled the Aboriginal Student Achievement Education Plan, which details how the territory is working to improve educational outcomes.

While there are some areas for improvement, there are noteworthy successes, such as the marked increases in graduation numbers from the secondary school system.  To ensure that success is built upon, tools like the AATs and FGLs will continue to provide overall information on the education system, which will help identify opportunities for improving the outcomes and making the education system both accessible and rewarding for students of all ages.

To review the 2010 AAT and FGL results, see the attached backgrounder.

For more information, please contact:

Jacqueline McKinnon
Manager, Public Affairs
Education, Culture and Employment
Phone: (867) 920-6222
Email: jacqueline_mckinnon@gov.nt.ca