Are you a parent of a Grade 4 or 7 student?
The FSA is a province-wide standardized test administered to all Grade 4 and 7 students across BC. This year, the FSA takes place October 2 to November 10, 2023. It is not a required part of the BC Curriculum, nor does it lead to increased supports for children. Despite years of controversy, the government has continued to enable the Fraser Institute and others who use the student data to rank schools. This test is divisive and unhelpful.
BC teachers are concerned about how the results of this test are used by private corporations to entrench already existing inequalities in our school system. The Royal Bank of Canada tries to use this data to bolster real estate price. We've seen countless media reports about "the worst school in BC" and ranking schools. We believe this is a demoralizing and harmful to school communities.
BC teachers believe that the government can protect the data collected through the administration of the FSA by using its legislative powers. The government needs to ensure the Fraser Institute and others can't misuse student information for their own profit and further entrench existing inequalities. Private corporations should not be able to exploit student data.
Please ask the NDP to protect student data from profit-driven corporations.
Authentic, individualized, curriculum-based assessment is the best and most meaningful way to understand student achievement. If you have questions about your child's strengths and challenges at school, the best person to talk to is your child's teacher.
Help BC teachers protect student data by writing to your MLA