The evolution of professionalism - Centre for Policy Studies in ...

standardized testing regime, much of which was released into the public domain
with little contextual or historical information to support its interpretation.
Predictably, the publication of standardized assessment results has garnered
public attention. In early 2003 the Department released results from its most recent
Grade 5 mathematics assessment, generating popular concern about performance
of the province’s mathematics programming. Recently, the Department has voiced
concerns about achievement results in national and international tests, particularly
in literacy and mathematics, and has subsequently focused specifi c attention of what
it is calling “basics”. 6 In May of 2002, Education Minister Jane Purvis released a
new set of educational initiatives (Nova Scotia, 2002d), apparently in response
to Nova Scotia’s performance on national and international standardized testing,
establishing her Ministry’s intention to address the province’s performance with
back-to-basics mathematics literacy initiatives and assessment instruments.
Other new initiatives include a series of literacy programs that began in 1999
at the early elementary level, and are being worked through the system several
grade levels at a time along with ongoing math program development. This
brings the province’s curriculum into line with the National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics (NCTM) standards, a back-to-basics initiative that mandates
compulsory time allotments for literacy and numeracy in elementary schools, a
standardized report card, physical activity and healthy eating programs, a preprimary
program, and lower elementary school class size caps. These programs
represent an elaboration of the curriculum direction set by the APEF documents
dating from the mid-1990s.
The administration and reporting of standardized tests has remained
problematic. For instance, Prince Edward Island has refused to participate in
APEF standardized examinations, preferring instead to develop its own assessment
regime. Nova Scotia is following the lead of several other provinces publishing
league tables of school performance. Both high school and elementary results are
now being published on a school-by-school basis. For example, the Department’s
Grade 6 literacy assessment instrument (fi rst administered in October 2003) has
replaced earlier qualitative language arts program assessment instruments. The new
assessment established individual, school, and school board level literacy scores.
The Department claimed it would make every attempt to be sensitive about how
the data from these tests were used, but then proceeded to release raw scores to the
media on a school-by-school basis. Since many of Nova Scotia’s elementary schools
are very small, it is quite possible to identify individuals from these results. This
Grade 6 assessment will lead to a similarly structured high-stakes Grade 9 literacy
assessment that students will be required to pass in order to receive a full high school
completion certifi cate. In 2005, the government announced that it would be expanding
its literacy testing downward to Grade 3 (Nova Scotia Government, 2005).
Linked to concerns about student performance are concerns about teacher
accountability, teacher professional development and teacher certifi cation,
training and retention. Beginning in 1992, the Department initiated a mandatory
recertifi cation scheme, which, according to an NSTU source, was closely wedded
to the model adopted in Ontario. Recertifi cation was said to be an important part of
the MacLelland government’s attempt to override contract protection and teacher
154 Section 4: The Atlantic Region