“Beg, Borrow, and Steal”: School Division Perspectives of Assessment Policy Creation in Saskatchewan

Authors

  • Cristyne Hebert University of Regina
  • Kent LeNouail University of Regina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v69i2.74894

Abstract

This study focused on school division needs pertaining to classroom-based assessment policies in Saskatchewan. Using a critical policy analysis framework, this project narrowed in on the creation of assessment policies within school divisions in the province through the lens of superintendents (n = 16). Applying Verhoest et al.’s (2004) organizational autonomy framework, school divisions were interpreted as having both a minimum level of financial autonomy and a higher (though ultimately ambiguous) level of policy autonomy. Interviews revealed a tension between policy creation at the school-division level and within the Ministry, highlighted the impact of higher policy autonomy and lower financial autonomy on policy development and implementation at the division level, and called attention to a desire from school divisions for provincial guidance.

Keywords: Classroom-based assessment; policy; school divisions; Saskatchewan; Ministry of Education

Cette étude a porté sur les besoins des divisions scolaires en matière de politiques d'évaluation en classe en Saskatchewan. À l'aide d'un cadre d'analyse critique des politiques, ce projet s'est concentré sur la création de politiques d'évaluation au sein des divisions scolaires de la province dans l'optique des directions générales (n = 16). En appliquant le cadre d'autonomie organisationnelle de Verhoest et al. (2004),on a perçu les divisions scolaires comme ayant à la fois un niveau minimum d'autonomie financière et un niveau plus élevé (bien qu'en fin de compte ambigu) d'autonomie en matière de politiques. Les entrevues ont révélé une tension entre la création de politiques au niveau de la division scolaire et au sein du ministère, ont mis en évidence l'impact d'une autonomie politique plus élevée et d'une autonomie financière plus faible sur l'élaboration et la mise en œuvre de politiques au niveau de la division et ont attiré l'attention sur le désir des divisions scolaires d'obtenir une orientation de la part de la province.

Mots clés : évaluation en classe ; politique ; divisions scolaires ; Saskatchewan ; ministère de l'Éducation

Author Biographies

Cristyne Hebert, University of Regina

Cristyne Hébert is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. She researches in the areas of assessment, digital literacies and pedagogies, and teacher education.

Kent LeNouail , University of Regina

Kent LeNouail is a graduate student with the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina currently working on his master's thesis in curriculum and instruction. His research work to date has focused on digital citizenship, historical thinking, and assessment policies in Saskatchewan.

Downloads

Published

2023-06-27

How to Cite

Hebert, C., & LeNouail , K. . (2023). “Beg, Borrow, and Steal”: School Division Perspectives of Assessment Policy Creation in Saskatchewan. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 69(2), 182–206. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v69i2.74894

Issue

Vol. 69 No. 2 (2023): Summer

Section

ARTICLES

License

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA COPYRIGHT LICENSE AND PUBLICATION AGREEMENT

If accepted, authors will be asked to sign a copyright agreement with the following points:

A. Where there is any inconsistency between this Copyright License and Publication Agreement and any other document or agreement in relation to the same subject matter, the terms of this Agreement shall govern.

B. This document sets out the rights you are granting in relation to publication of your article, book review, or research note entitled (the “Article”) through inclusion in the academic journal titled Alberta Journal of Educational Research (the “Journal”) published through the Faculty of Education, representing the Governors of the University of Alberta (the “Journal Editor”).

C. There will be no payment to you for this publication and grant of rights. In consideration of the agreement to publish the Article in the Journal:

1. You are warranting that:

  1. the content of the Article is your original work, and its content does not contain any material infringing the copyright of others; or, where the Article is not entirely your original work, you have obtained all necessary permissions in writing to grant the rights you are giving in this agreement;
  2. the content of the Article does not contain any material that is defamatory of, or violates the privacy rights of, or discloses the confidential information of, any other person;
  3. the Article has not been published elsewhere in whole or in part, and you will not allow publication of the Article elsewhere without the consent of the Journal Editor;
  4. the names of all co-authors and contributors to the Article are:

2. You agree to license the copyright in the Article to the Journal Editor, on a worldwide, perpetual, royalty free basis; and to the extent required by the terms of this agreement. You shall retain the right at all times to be acknowledged as the/an author of the Article.

3. You further agree that the Journal Editor has the entitlement to deal with the Article as the Journal Editor sees fit, and including in the following manner;

  1. The right to print, publish, market, communicate and distribute the Article and the Journal, in this and any subsequent editions, in all media (including electronic media), in all languages, and in all territories, ing the full term of copyright, and including any form of the Article separated from the Journal, such as in a database, abstract, offprint, translation or otherwise, and to authorize third parties to do so;
  2. The right to register copyright of the Journal;
  3. The right to edit the Article, to conform to editorial policy as the Journal Editor sees fit.

4. If any co-author or contributor to the Article does not sign this agreement, the Journal Editor reserves the right to refuse to publish the Article.