MOOSE JAW — New data show that this year’s kindergarten students in Prairie South School Division did slightly better on an early years evaluation than students who took the test last year.
Division administration presented the early learning accountability report during the March board meeting, with the document providing information about prekindergarten and kindergarten programs and data from evaluations of the latter students.
Kindergarten educators are responsible for administering the early years evaluation teacher assessment (EYE-TA) in the fall, as the Ministry of Education mandates, and then re-assessing select students in the spring, a board report said.
The evaluation looks at six domains: awareness of self and environment, social skills and approaches to learning, cognitive skills, language and communication, fine motor physical development and gross motor physical development.
The report provided data about the evaluation of 396 kindergarten students in the fall of 2023 and the growth of those students — if any — in the spring of 2024. The document also provided data about the evaluation of 417 kindergarten students in the fall of 2024.
2023-24 school year data
The numbers of students demonstrating proficiency (tier 1) in the six domains in the fall of 2023, the spring of 2024, and the percentage meeting those proficiency targets were:
- Awareness of self and environment: 350 / 379 / 93 per cent
- Social skills and approaches to learning: 324 / 375 / 92 per cent
- Cognitive skills: 268 / 358 / 88 per cent
- Language and communication: 337 / 373 / 91.8 per cent
- Fine motor skills: 297 / 375 / 92 per cent
- Gross motor skills: 350 / 387 / 95 per cent
2024-25 school year data
Meanwhile, the numbers of students demonstrating proficiency (tier 1) in the six domains in the fall of 2024 compared to the fall of 2023 was:
- Awareness of self and environment: 354 / 350
- Social skills and approaches to learning: 325 / 324
- Cognitive skills: 280 / 268
- Language and communication: 340 / 337
- Fine motor skills: 306 / 297
- Gross motor skills: 363 / 350
Administration comments
Amanda Olson, superintendent of learning, said there was “quite a bit of growth” from 2023 to 2024 in how students did on the evaluations. Furthermore, there was “a very large increase” in the proficiency ratings of the six domains, with five of the six areas above 90 per cent.
“So, lots of great data to celebrate there,” she said.
With the fall 2024 data, Olson said all schools received their school-level results and the results of each kindergarten student. The schools’ teams — the teacher, administrator and a speech-language pathologist — then plan specific learning activities to build on the results, increase proficiency levels and provide extra learning opportunities.
Olson’s report noted that the division’s prekindergarten and kindergarten programs align with the ministry’s Provincial Education Plan, which focuses on learning and assessment, Aboriginal education, student transitions, and mental health and well-being.
In response to the four priorities, Prairie South has ensured that classroom staff new to prekindergarten and kindergarten complete basic workshops, receive one-on-one professional learning support and receive professional development (PD) twice a year, the report said.
Some PD sessions focused on helping kids develop self-regulation and social emotional learning, fine motor development, and toilet strategies for classrooms and homes; supporting EAL students and families in prekindergarten; and holding a year-end celebration for prekindergarten teachers and educational assistants.
Olson added that, in January, the Ministry of Education expanded the division’s early learning intensive supports (ELIS) program by four spots, for a total of 16 spaces for three- and four-year-olds who require extra attention.
The next Prairie South board meeting is Tuesday, April 1.
