Alberta vs. Quebec Standardized Provincial Exams

Another difference between the two schooling systems I found interesting was the provincial testing.   Here is a quick overview of both provincial testing methods along with my two cents.  

Alberta and Quebec both administer provincially regulated exams for specific courses.  In Alberta these exams are held in grade 6 and in grade 9 for Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies, and in grade 12 for most courses.  In Quebec the exams are administered only in High School, in particular, in grades 10 and 11 Science, Math, English, History and French. 

Continue reading “Alberta vs. Quebec Standardized Provincial Exams”

Alberta vs. Quebec School Setup – Having Junior High vs. No Junior High schools.

The general school system in Alberta is setup slightly differently than in Quebec.

In Alberta, children first go to Elementary School (Kindergarten to grade 6), then Junior High School (grade 7 to 9) and then High School (grade 10 to 12), after which the student chooses to go to college, university, or work.

Continue reading “Alberta vs. Quebec School Setup – Having Junior High vs. No Junior High schools.”

Is standardized testing what makes Alberta’s education system superior?

Originally written in September, 2006. But still very relevant:

Recently, I was reading The Economist, and to my surprise, there was an article on Alberta Schools (https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2006/09/21/clever-red-necks). According to Statistics Canada, Alberta ranks tops in education, not only across the country, but also in the world. Specifically, the article mentions Edmonton as an innovative education system stressing choice, accountability and competition, stating that each school controls its own budget, spending money on its own educational priorities.

Continue reading “Is standardized testing what makes Alberta’s education system superior?”

Uncovering: The Theory of Positive Disintegration

Uncovering: The Theory of Positive Disintegration
by Krystyna Laycraft

This book was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Laycraft’s work on Dabrowski’s theory. Laycraft was exploring Dabrowski’s idea through the prism of her knowledge as a physicist, specializing in complexity science. Dabrowski stresses the importance of “emotional turbulence” in the process of transition from the lower level to the higher levels of mental life, which complies with the core ideas of chaos theory where sensitivity, instability and unpredictability are an inherent part of development. Through the perspective of complexity science, Laycraft tried to uncover some deep secrets of Dabrowski’s theory and bring further understanding of human development.

Published by Nucleus Learning, Calgary, Alberta, 2019
Price: $20.00 CAD