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Alberta updating curriculum to better prepare students for future success

Starting this September, Alberta Education will begin developing new curriculum and will be asking Albertans to provide input.

Alberta Education’s new approach to developing curriculum will span six years and work will be done simultaneously on six subject areas: Arts, Language Arts (English, French, Français), Mathematics, Social Studies, Sciences, and Wellness.

“This government is committed to developing curriculum - including the fundamentals of reading, writing and math - that ensures children have the best possible start in life to prepare them for rewarding careers in a diversified economy. Critical subject areas have not been updated in many years, so this work is long overdue. This new process will allow us to fulfil our commitments to educate our students about the history, perspectives and contributions of our Francophone, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and communities.”

David Eggen, Minister of Education

Future provincial curriculum in all subjects will have a common design and student-centred direction, which will ensure consistency across the K-12 curriculum. This will make it easier for teachers to plan across subjects. It will also enhance the ability of those teachers who are teaching multiple subjects across grade levels to provide a more cohesive program, improving the overall learning experience for students and reducing teachers’ planning time.

“Sleeker programs, allowing teachers to go more in-depth and to bring in more local elements, will ensure that our programs remain engaging, fulfilling and responsive to student needs. Teachers and the profession are excited for the changes and look forward to partnering with government on curriculum development.”

Mark Ramsankar, President, Alberta Teachers’ Association

Albertans will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the development of new curriculum through hundreds of face-to-face meetings and an online survey planned for this fall.

“Parents are pleased that curriculum development is moving forward to meet the challenges of a changing world where all students can achieve success. Further school council collaboration will ensure it meets the diverse learning needs of students and enables them to reach their full potential.”

Allison Pike, President, Alberta School Councils’ Association

Backgrounder:

  • New curriculum will be developed for Kindergarten to Grade 4 by late 2018. That will be followed by Grades 5 to 8 in late 2019. After that, our high school curriculum will be developed in phases from 2020 to 2022.
  • Current curriculum remains in effect until new curriculum is implemented.
  • New curriculum will contain an explicit focus on the development of learner outcomes that support and reinforce 21st-century competencies across curriculum, as well as literacy and numeracy.
  • Provincial curriculum will be developed simultaneously in English and French for the first time.
  • New curriculum reflects the principles and standards outlined in the Guiding Framework, which consolidates research, feedback from consultations and results of prototyping. The framework sets a common, student-centred direction for the development of future curriculum.
  • Support for First Nations, Métis and Inuit student learning, as well as the inclusion of Education for Reconciliation, which includes ways of knowing and diverse perspectives, will be reflected in future K-12 curriculum. Four million dollars in existing funding will be spent on consultation with Indigenous partners on future curriculum.
  • Francophone perspectives will also be included in future K-12 curriculum.
  • Provincial curriculum will be developed and available for use through a digital platform, the Curriculum Development Application (CDA).
    • Teachers will be able to interact and develop learning opportunities for their students through the CDA. This interactive platform will become a one-stop shop for subject-specific programs of study, resources and assessment.
    • The CDA will also support the move to a shorter curriculum development cycle and an improved evergreening process.
  • The costs for this new curriculum development are funded through current budget allocations; no new money is required. The cost over six fiscal years is estimated at $64,430,684. This includes $38,850,000 for staffing, $20,394,684 for the engagement strategy and $5,186,000 for CDA.

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