New Brunswick is changing how it measures student success. Instead of aiming for a province-wide 90 percent literacy rate, the Department of Education now expects individual schools to show small, steady improvements each year. Education officials faced tough questions about this shift from the legislature’s public accounts committee on Thursday, as reported by CBC News.

The Reality of Current Literacy Scores

The previous 10-year education plan aimed to have 90 percent of students achieve an appropriate level of literacy by 2026. The reality looks much different today. A June auditor-general report revealed only four anglophone schools passed the Grade 4 reading assessment in the 2024-25 school year. On the francophone side, only four schools hit the target in their Grade 2 reading assessments.

The New School-by-School Approach

Deputy education minister Ryan Donaghy defended the move away from the 90 percent target. “The reason why we’ve shifted from the aspirational number, look, everybody wants to be at 90 plus percent,” Donaghy told MLAs. “However we do need to take into account where we actually are.”

Under the new plan, each school must improve its own results by 1.2 percent each year in literacy and 1.1 percent in math. If a school chronically misses these targets, the province hands the issue over to the district education councils to intervene.

Progressive Conservative MLA Ian Lee questioned this new framework. “I would have a serious question of the framework that’s established,” Lee said. “I guess to be honest time will tell.”

Will More Teacher Prep Time Help?

While officials debated targets, the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association released survey results highlighting a successful pilot project. This project gives teachers up to 10 additional professional development days throughout the school year.

Association president Heidi Ryder noted teachers in the 37 pilot schools were three times as likely to report having more time to collaborate on student needs. In these schools, 78 percent of teachers said they engaged in professional learning that improved their teaching.

“The additional professional practice time is making a difference,” Ryder said.

Waiting for Results

You will need to wait to see if this extra preparation translates to better test scores. Ryder called student achievement a lagging indicator, meaning the effects of the pilot take time to show up in data.

Donaghy shared a similar view on the new education plan.

“It’s important to remember that a change in the education system made today doesn’t necessarily see results tomorrow,” he said.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was New Brunswick’s previous literacy goal?

The previous 10-year education plan aimed for 90 percent of students to achieve an appropriate level of literacy by 2026.

How did schools perform on recent reading assessments?

According to a June auditor-general report, only four anglophone schools passed the Grade 4 reading assessment, and only four francophone schools met the target for Grade 2 reading.

What are the new improvement targets for schools?

Instead of a province-wide goal, each school is now expected to improve its own results by 1.2 percent annually in literacy and 1.1 percent in math.

What happens if a school fails to meet the new targets?

The province will highlight the shortfall and offer support, but district education councils take responsibility for intervening with individual schools.

How is the teacher professional development pilot project performing?

The New Brunswick Teachers’ Association reports the pilot is successful. In participating schools, 78 percent of teachers say they have more time for professional learning that improves their teaching.