EDMONTON — Alberta is expanding mandatory reading and math screening to grades 4 and 5 as the province increases funding for testing and supports for students who are falling behind.
The province says it is investing $20 million in screening and supports during the 2026-27 school year, an increase of more than 60 per cent from the previous year.
Screening already takes place from kindergarten through Grade 3. Beginning this school year, all Grade 4 and 5 students will also be screened in the fall.
Students identified as requiring intervention will receive additional supports and be screened again in the spring to measure their progress.
Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the screening activities are intended to identify difficulties before they develop into larger learning gaps.
“These screeners are short, simple activities that can have a huge impact on identifying and stopping issues with math and reading before they grow into even larger issues down the road for a student,” Nicolaides said.
The province says early year-over-year results indicate between 30 and 41 per cent of students previously identified as needing additional support were no longer identified as needing it when screened again a year later.
Among students moving from kindergarten to Grade 1, 38 per cent were no longer identified as requiring additional reading support, while 41 per cent no longer required additional math support.
For students moving from Grade 1 to Grade 2, the figures were 32 per cent in reading and 36 per cent in math. Among those moving from Grade 2 to Grade 3, 30 per cent were no longer identified as requiring additional reading support and 38 per cent were no longer identified as requiring additional math support.
Fall 2025 screening data included about 147,500 students in grades 1 to 3 for reading and 161,000 for math.
Changes to the Education Act taking effect this school year require school authorities and Early Childhood Services operators to share screening results with parents and provide the data to the province.
School authorities will also be required to provide intervention supports when screening identifies a student as having difficulties with reading or math.
Alberta Education and Childcare plans to publish annual reports on provincial reading and math screening results, with the first expected during the 2027-28 school year.
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