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Commissioned in February 1975, the Task Force assessed stakeholder identified needs to determine whether or not new measures and/or changes in programs and funding procedures were necessary or desirable at the time to respond to the special needs, if any, of Northern Albertans. Local people gathered and analyzed information provided by school systems and other stakeholders, which together with other data provided a basis for 32 recommendations. It was concluded that the Provincial Government's present allocation of financial resources to education was within reasonable and realistic dimensions. Although ample evidence was found that Northern Alberta still needed to "catch up" to the rest of the Province in some services, the Task Force had serious reservations about recommending acceleration in educational program implementation. Rather, the recommendations called for possible adjustment in existing delivery mechanisms to maximize outputs, without necessarily increasing Provincial and local financial support, and for re-allocation of existing transfer grants to provide for more equitable differential treatment of school systems. Focusing on curriculum, service delivery, funding, governance, and Native education, the recommendations were directed to immediate actions needed at the time, or suggested research and analysis to identify the components of the delivery mechanisms requiring adjustment or replacement. (Author/NQ)

Contracted for 18 months and employing local people, the Alberta North Needs Assessment (ANNA) Task Force assessed the educational, social and cultural needs of North Albertans, and translated these needs into potential programs integrated, where desirable, with other government and local programs. The Task Force examined the community, client, and stakeholder identified needs, and made recommendations, where appropriate, to proceed with their resolution on a non-crisis basis. Project areas were scanned by "eyeballing" the communities, focusing on the exterior condition of physical plants (schools especially), their location in the community, general housing conditions, roads, and environmental setting. First impressions were gained regarding the presence of remoteness and isolation factors; casual and informal discussions were held with recipients of government services. Pertaining to the Northland School Division Study Group Report, community resource development, teacher supply, curriculum development, compensatory education, cross-cultural curriculum implementation, social delivery systems, financing small schools and jurisdiction, de-isolation initiatives, and cultural exposure excursions, the recommendations included that: the Early Childhood Services model be extended to primary grades in selected schools, and a study be undertaken to assess the need for additional assistance to boards to support cultural exposure excursions for students remote from large urban centres. (NQ)

Compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped in 1973; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. To assess the quality of education since then, a 1976 survey examined: (1) current grade 12 evaluation policies and practices; (2) whether or not grading has changed in the past five years; and (3) public opinion concerning changes in educational quality and recommendations for improvement. The superintendents responding to the survey cited the lack of consistency in applying policy within school systems and throughout the province as a major obstacle in maintaining public credibility. School systems have generally adopted the "Lethbridge policy" or some version of it which incorporates Alberta Education's"fair and just" concepts. Grades since the 1970's have shown a slight increase to 1973, a steady increase to 1975, and a slight drop in 1976 and 1977. Most of the 4,500 survey repondents think changes have occurred in the past five years, but those within the educational community take a more optimistic view than the general public. Most Albertans think that there has been an increase in curriculum flexibility, professional freedom and responsibility, but a reduction in student effort, level of achievement and comparability of grading practices. It was recommended that the new system be retained for a minimum of three years, subject to further review. (CP)

In 1973, compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. Mandated by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1976, this study by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Student Achievement (MACOSA) surveyed education professionals, students, and the public to answer two basic questions: (1) What is happening to the quality of education since these exams were dropped? and (2) What should happen? The first section of the study report, An Audit of the Facts, examines existing school system evaluation practices, policies, and grading trends, within local systems and province-wide. The second section, An Audit of Public's Opinions, discusses the survey instrument, population surveyed, questionnaire returns, treatment of data and interview techniques; and presents and interprets the resulting data. The third section, Interpretations of Publics' Opinions, discusses the positions taken by each of the ten groups sampled in the survey and by the interviewees, with respect to future practices in evaluation. The final section presents conclusions of the study regarding various interpretations for quality of education and the MACOSA recommendation regarding the new system of student evalution. Since there is reluctance to return to the compulsory examinations, it is recommended that the current policy be continued, subject to review after three years. (CP)