PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

PIRLS 2006 Encyclopediaimprove their literacy skills through the course and pass it also meet the graduationliteracy requirement.Standardized TestsIn Ontario, individual school boards or schools determine whether or not to usecommercial tests of reading achievement. Commonly used tests include the CanadianCognitive Abilities Test, Canadian Test of Basic Skills, Canadian Achievement Test,Developmental Reading Assessment, and CASI Reading Assessment.Monitoring Individual Student ProgressClassroom assessment and evaluation are based on the expectations in the provincialcurriculum. These include overall expectations that are the basis for evaluation, andspecific expectations. All curriculum documents have achievement charts with four levelsof achievement and four categories of knowledge and skills. The provincial standard orexpected level of achievement is Level 3, the level at which teachers and parents can beconfident that students are well prepared for work in the next grade or the next course.QuébecLanguage and LiteracyElementary education in Québec is provided in French, English, or aboriginal languages,and secondary education is provided in French or English. The languages most commonlyspoken in Québec, in addition to French and English, are Italian, Spanish, and Arabic.Montréal, the largest city in Québec, which represents nearly half of the province’spopulation, is a multicultural and multilingual city.Instruction in a second language (English or French) is provided by specialists inelementary and secondary school. In elementary school, the second language is taughtan average of 1 hour per week. As of September 2006, instruction in French as a secondlanguage begins in cycle 2, and English as a second language begins in the first year ofelementary school. In secondary school, the basic school regulation prescribes 150 hoursper year of instruction in the second language in the first 3 years and 100 hours per yearin the fourth and fifth years.CanadaOverview of the Education SystemIn Québec, the education system offers a variety of programs and services from preschoolto university. The role of the Ministry of Education, Leisure, and Sport (Ministère del’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport) depends on the level of education concerned. Inpreschool, elementary, secondary, and college education, the Ministry establishes theprograms and defines the objectives and often the content or the standards. With regardto labor relations, the Ministry negotiates and signs provincial agreements. With regardto funding, it defines a normative framework and provides most of the resources. Atthe university level, the Ministry ensures the advancement of teaching and research by82