Superintendent Reacts To Low Test Scores

"There's no question that we would be concerned about that."

Those are the words of Randy Dueck, Superintendent for Hanover School Division, reacting to word that grade eight students in Manitoba scored lowest in the country in science, reading and math. The testing was done in spring of 2013 through the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program.

But Randy Dueck says it's really important to understand this is a provincial concern. Dueck notes the testing was done to get a sense across the province.

"It wasn't a test that was set up to in any way be able to give specific divisions accurate feedback or even helpful feedback," notes Dueck. "It was almost like a bit of a dipstick measure throughout the province."

Dueck notes only two unnamed schools in Hanover participated in the testing and not every grade eight student from those two schools. He says really it's a random sampling.

"First of all, I don't think that Hanover grade eight students would score necessarily amongst the lowest in the country," notes Dueck. "We don't have any way of really knowing that because the test didn't test for that specifically for Hanover, it was a provincial test."

When news broke last week of the test results, Manitoba Education Minister James Allum announced an action plan intended to close the achievement gap. The action plan includes enhancing teacher education, providing more supports for teachers and students in their early years, a focus on fundamental skills, providing more supports for parents and students and ensuring greater accountability.

Dueck says he hasn't seen anything additional on this action plan, other than what was presented through the media. He has chosen not to comment on the action plan at this time.

"I think it's wise for me to wait until I have something directly from the Education Minister," says Dueck.

Dueck notes as a division they are always monitoring to see how they're doing and what can be done better. He says over the last number of years they have developed alternative education programming for kids who struggle with the conventional model of school.