Overview
- The government has made Grades 4 and 5 reading and math screeners mandatory for the 2026–27 school year and requires whole-class fall administration to cover every student.
- Alberta is adding $20 million for 2026–27 to let school boards hire educational assistants and expand support hours so targeted interventions can be delivered during regular classroom time.
- Changes to the Education Act require schools to share screening results with parents and submit screening data to Alberta Education and Childcare for departmental oversight.
- Students who receive interventions after the fall screening will be rescreened in spring 2027 to measure progress, building on K–3 results that showed 30–41% of previously identified students no longer needed extra support a year later.
- Officials and board representatives say the tools are diagnostic not high-stakes tests, and the province plans an annual provincial screening report in 2027–28 to track outcomes and inform future supports.