Saskatchewan Student Assessment Program
The Government of Saskatchewan is working with education partners on a provincial assessment program for Saskatchewan students. This program is part of Saskatchewan’s Provincial Education Plan developed in collaboration with education partners. Students, parents and the public have told us they want Saskatchewan students to:
- be prepared for success with the skills and knowledge they need for the future;
- be supported in their learning; and
- have an education that is globally recognized.
Saskatchewan Student Assessment program will help us to move toward those goals.
Saskatchewan is currently the only province that does not administer provincial assessments. Assessments will highlight strengths in the public education system and will help identify gaps and areas where support is required.
1. General Information
Assessments will be delivered online in an easily accessible format.
There will be online samples of what assessment questions will look like, and these can be used throughout the school year by teachers, parents/caregivers and students to become familiar with the assessment format.
2. Timeline
Assessments will be implemented in a staggered approach. Before each assessment becomes operational, it will be preceded by a field test. This staggered approach helps ensure that all assessments are rigorously developed, refined and validated before they are officially made a part of the assessment program.
- In the 2025-26 school year, students will write a field test in Grades 5 and 9 mathematics and in Grade 7 English language arts (ELA).
- In the 2026-27 school year, Grades 5 and 9 mathematics and Grade 7 ELA assessments will be fully implemented. Students in Grades 4 and 10 will write an ELA field test.
- In the 2027-28 school year, all assessments will be in full implementation, including Grades 5 and 9 mathematics and Grades 4, 7 and 10 ELA.
3. Information for Students and Parents/Caregivers
All students in publicly funded schools in the grade of assessment will be expected to participate in the program.
Students who receive specialized help in the classroom will receive the same accommodations when writing the assessments.
4. Information for Teachers
Assessments will be based on the curriculum taught throughout the year and developed in collaboration with Saskatchewan teachers.
Provincial assessments do not replace classroom assessments. Classroom assessments provide teachers with essential information about individual students’ achievements on a day-to-day basis throughout the school year and help inform instruction.
5. Assessment Outcomes
The goals of assessment are to provide a fair and objective measure of how students are doing, help guide instruction, and assist schools, divisions and government in improving student achievement.
Results from the assessments will be made available to parents/caregivers, classroom teachers, the schools and the education organizations. Overall, data will highlight the strengths of Saskatchewan’s education system and will bring attention to areas that require consideration and exploration.
Results from the assessments will not be used by the Ministry of Education for the purpose of school ranking nor to evaluate teacher performance.