Alberta’s education minister is scheduled to provide an update on “additional steps being taken to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic” Wednesday afternoon.
Adriana LaGrange is scheduled to speak at 3:30 pm Her address will be streamed live at the publication of this article.
Lorrie Jess, president of the Alberta School Boards Association, and Wilco Tymensen, president of the College of Alberta School Superintendents, are also scheduled to speak.
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Alberta Announces $ 45 Million in Funding to Help Young Students Struggling with Reading and Math
In May, the province announced $ 45 million for schools to help young students struggling with reading and math amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, Prime Minister Jason Kenney and LaGrange said funds would be available to provide “intensive interventions” for students in grades 1-3 who are identified by school officials as needing more help.
Research by the University of Alberta found that students in those grades have been the hardest hit by school closings and disruptions, Kenney said May 28.
Some students were shown to be eight to 12 months behind their normal grade level in literacy and numeracy learning.
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That same research showed that schools that were able to intervene with those students quickly were able to help 80 percent of struggling students reach the appropriate grade level.
School officials were asked to assess students as they relearned in the fall, identify those who may need additional supports, and then apply to Alberta Education for funding.
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In May, LaGrange said schools could use the money to hire additional teachers or instructional assistants or hire substitutes to relieve teachers and allow them to focus on smaller groups or individual learning to get students up to speed.
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“It will certainly be up to the school authorities to determine how they are going to spend those dollars, how they are going to implement those programs, but the dollars are there to ensure they have the resources they need,” he said. May 28.
– More to come.
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