Administrative Resources

Grade Level of Achievement Reporting

A comprehensive student assessment program provides relevant data for all important educational decisions related to learning:  instruction, program improvement and public accountability.  Information on student progress is essential so that teachers can change or refine instructional plans to ensure learning activities are appropriate for all students.

Teachers must ensure that student assessment information is effectively communicated to parents about:

  • what their child knows and can do in the courses being studied,
  • how well their child is doing in those courses, 
  • the grade level(s) the child has achieved expressed as “at,” “above,” or “below” in relation to the grade levels (1 - 9) of the provincial programs of study for language arts, mathematics, science and social studies and the student’s enrolled grade.

Grade Level of Achievement (GLA) information for language arts and mathematics is also reported to Alberta Education. Given the comprehensiveness of classroom-based assessment, analysis of GLA data considered in relationship to Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) results can provide unique insights into factors that influence student achievement.  Both PAT and GLA data provide teachers, principals, central office staff and Alberta Education with additional tools to help inform and engage students and parents in the learning process.  The data also helps in analyzing and evaluating the achievement of different populations of students to ensure that their learning needs are better understood and met. 

The implementation plan for GLA data collection was based on a phased-in approach and full implementation was reached in June 2008.  The resources noted below provide ongoing support to teachers and administrators in meeting the GLA reporting requirement. 

Project Documents present key, current supports for the GLA reporting initiative.

Curriculum Supports provides a link to Alberta Education curriculum documents as a means to reinforce the criterion-referenced based nature of GLA-related assessment and reporting.

Related Websites provide links to organizations that provide in-service and capacity-building support for classroom assessment in general.

Related References provide useful resources relevant to the GLA reporting initiative.

Archived Documents present project documents on the background and historical context for the GLA initiative.