District Parent Advisory Council Supports FSA Testing

Monday, February 11, 2008 03:49 AM

Prince George, B.C. - The Prince George District Parent Advirsory Council is ging public about its disagreement with the position taken by the BC Teachers Federation about the Foundation Skills Assessment Tests (FSA test).

The DPAC has issued a news release asking all parents of students in grades 4, 7 and 10 to go on a fact finding mission before making a decision to pull their children from any testing.

The Foundation Skills Assessment is an annual province‐wide assessment of British Columbia students' academic skills, and provides a snapshot of how well BC students are learning foundation skills in Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Numeracy. The main purpose of the assessment is to help the province, school districts, schools and school planning councils evaluate how well students are achieving basic skills, and make plans to improve student achievement. FSA is designed and developed by British Columbia educators. The skills tested are linked to the provincial curriculum and provincial performance standards.

The release reads:

" In a time when parents are urging the Ministry of Education to expand the limits of education to enhance the academic needs o all children including those with special needs, of aboriginal heritage and those who require enriched programming. The Prince George District Parent Advisory Council believes the FSA’s provide a valuable snapshot of where the education syste needs to improve curriculum to support all learners.

Parents and teachers successfully prepare children for new things all the time. Preparing children to take FSA’s is no different and there is no need to fear these tests as may have been reported. The tests are based on the same curriculum that your children are being taught on a daily basis. In the world, FSA’s are one of the lowest stakes processes. Your child’s grades are not affected by it, school funding is not affected by it and it provides you as a parent an indication of how your child is doing academically. Parents and teachers successfully prepare children for new things all the time.

FSA’s take about four and a half hours but can be spread over three or more sessions and do not take up as much time in the ovrall education picture as parents may have been led to believe. FSA’s take about four and a half hours but can be spread over three or more sessions and do not take up as much time in the oerall education picture as parents may have been led to believe. The tests have been changed this year to an earlier test date and the content of the test has been changed to reflect that cerain subjects have not been totally covered at that point in the school year. The tests will be marked locally in our school district with the intentions of providing reports and the written response bookets returned by the end of March. This will provide an opportunity to address any issues before the end of the school year.

DPAC strongly believes parents are more than capable of making their own decisions regarding education issues and we urge you to not believe what you are told but to please research from various sources the true value of FSA’s."

The Freaser Institute has used the data to give rankings to schools in the province. That, says the Prince George DPAC is a negative use of the FSA Data. The Prince George DPAC says using the data to rank schools "fails to consider the economic and social situations of each school. "

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Posted on Monday, February 11, 2008 03:49 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Foo738 on February 11 2008 2:22 PM

I am confused by the above article having tried to read it three times.

Is anyone else confused?

Posted by: lunarbase on February 11 2008 3:09 PM

It is a bit confusing as it seems to be the reporter's view from the press release. The actual press release makes more sense.

Posted by: Foo738 on February 11 2008 8:36 PM

That helps as it is, I believe a DPAC press release.

I wonder why they endorse it when they feel that the Fraser Institute is using it unfairly and I quote "fails to consider the economic and social situations of each school.

I thnk the Fraser Insitute does not consider the economic and social situations of each school so why would
District Parent Advisory Council endorse it?

I am confused still.

Posted by: lunarbase on February 11 2008 9:09 PM

Probably because the actual assessment is fine, and provides valuable feedback. It is the Fraser Institute that is the problem. I personally haven't heard much of anything good out from the Fraser Institute.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on February 11 2008 10:17 PM

The BC Teachers Federation doesn't like the Foundation Skills Assessment Tests because it measures their members success and ability to teach.

The Prince George District Parent Advisory Council is saying, so what we want to know.

It just a simple case of the unions putting their interests ahead of the kids in school. Remember this union is the same ones that willing locked kids out of school. If someone doesn't hold this union accountable the BCTF will have kids out marching in the streets carring BCTF banners and screaming about increasing teacher benefit packages.

Unions are very powerful and used to getting their ways, this must be very frustrating for them.

Posted by: thereasonableman on February 12 2008 7:25 AM

I agree, Yamaman. The BCTF has a long history of being another political wing of the NDP. A lot of their antics are aimed at attempting to influence provincial politics under the guise of something to do with teaching.

I will give more weight to their comments when they clearly demonstrate that their interests are not political.

BTW: "clearly demonstrate" does not mean telling us over and over again that it is not politically motivated. Let us arrive at the conclusion that it is not politically motivated.