YELLOWKNIFE (September 12, 2014) – The Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT) released the 2013 student attendance and Alberta Achievement Tests results today. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) uses this information to measure the success of the territory’s education system and to ensure ECE is making the best use of resources to provide quality education for all students in the territory.

“Research has shown that a child’s attendance record may be the biggest factor influencing his or her success at school,” said Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty. “Everything we have been working toward reflects meeting student and family needs, how we can help them engage in their education, and their sense of belonging and identity within their school and community. Early Childhood Development, Junior Kindergarten, the Early Development Instrument and Education Renewal and Innovation are all aligned to create a foundation for our children to develop and lead productive lives. It is critical that we continue developing these initiatives to ensure we bridge achievement gaps and challenges facing our children and families.”

The Alberta Achievement Tests (AATs), developed by Alberta’s Department of Education, are used in the NWT as the two education systems use similar curriculum. The AATs help to determine if students are learning what they are expected to learn and meeting curricular objectives in Language Arts and Mathematics. The tests are written at the end of the school year in grades 3, 6 and 9. The results are shared with educators and parents and used by policy makers to improve student learning.

AATs provide a picture of a student’s performance on one particular day, and show how well a student has performed in relation to Alberta curricular objectives.

Trends in the 2013 attendance and AAT data show little difference from previous years, revealing once again that there is a need for significant improvement. The results confirm that far too many NWT children and youth are falling short of their potential and falling behind other Canadian students. Students in small communities are at greatest risk of lagging behind. The results underscore that meaningful and sustainable change is required in the NWT, especially in the areas of early childhood development and learning, which is a major focus of the K-12 Education Renewal and Innovation initiative.

For more information, visit www.ece.gov.nt.ca.

Media inquiries:

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