School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP)

The SAIP Program has concluded and will be replaced with the PCAP (Pan Canadian Assessment Program), starting in 2007. This page has been provided for information purposes only.

What Is SAIP?

The School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) is a cyclical program of pan-Canadian assessments of student achievement in mathematics, reading and writing, and science that has been conducted by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada since 1993.

Why did the CMEC develop the SAIP?

Canadians have long been interested in how well their education systems are meeting the needs of students and society. To provide information on this issue, the provinces and territories, through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), have developed the SAIP to assess the performance of 13 and 16-year-old students in mathematics content and mathematics problem-solving, reading and writing, and science. The first cycle of assessments began in 1993 with the administration of the mathematics assessment in April of that year. The reading and writing assessment followed in 1994 and the science assessment was administered in 1996. The second cycle of assessments were administered from 1997 to 1999. A third cycle began with the administration of the mathematics assessment in 2001. This information, together with the review mechanisms of individual jurisdictions, will give each minister of education a basis for examining the curriculum and other aspects of the school system.
How can student performance across Canada be compared?

School programs differ from one part of the country to another. Making comparisons of results from these various programs is a complex task. However, young Canadians in different provinces and territories learn many similar skills in mathematics, reading and writing, and science. The SAIP assessments will help to determine whether students across Canada reach similar levels of performance at about the same age.

Will the SAIP replace provincial and territorial assessments?

The SAIP is designed to complement existing assessments in each province and territory, providing Canada-wide data on the achievement levels attained by 13 and 16-year-old students across the country and on the extent to which skills and knowledge develop between the ages of 13 and 16.

Further Information

Public Reports for previous SAIP Assessments, and further information about the SAIP can be found at http://www.cmec.ca/saip/indexe.stm

Results of the most recent SAIP assessments are contained in the Department of Education, 2003-2004 Public Schools Branch Annual Report .

If you have further questions about the SAIP, please contact: Coordinator, Student Information and Assessment at 667-3707.

Student Information and Assessment
Department of Education
Government of Yukon
Box 2703
Whitehorse, Yukon
Canada Y1A 2C6

Phone: (867) 667-3707
Toll free (In Yukon):
1-800-661-0408, local 3707
Fax: (867) 667-5876

student.assessment
 @gov.yk.ca