What are SAIP and PCAP? The School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) was a cyclical program of pan-Canadian assessments of student achievement in mathematics, reading and writing, and science that was conducted by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) between 1993 and 2004. The Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) has since then replaced SAIP, with its first assessment scheduled for the spring of 2007. PCAP will continue to assess performance in the same three core subjects as SAIP but will have room for other subjects to be added as the need arises.
Why did CMEC develop SAIP and PCAP? 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 CMEC, developed SAIP and PCAP to assess the performance of students in mathematics, reading, and science. Three cycles of pan-Canadian assessments have been conducted since 1993. Information revealed in each assessment, together with the review mechanisms of individual jurisdictions, has given ministers of education a basis for examining their curriculum and other aspects of their school system.
Why did CMEC replace SAIP with PCAP? At its 83rd meeting (held on April 2, 2003, in London, Ontario), CMEC approved the development of PCAP to replace SAIP. The need for a new pan-Canadian program that would reflect changes made in jurisdictional curriculum within the past decade had become apparent in Canadian provinces and territories. PCAP will also recognize the increased jurisdictional emphasis now placed on international assessments. It will continue to assess performance in reading, science, and mathematics but will have room for other subjects to be added as the need arises. PCAP will assess 13- and 15-year-old students and will enable provinces and territories to improve their own assessments as well as validate their results against national and international results.
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 science. The PCAP assessments will help to determine whether students across Canada reach similar levels of performance at about the same age.
Will PCAP replace provincial and territorial assessments? PCAP is designed to complement existing assessments in each province and territory, providing Canada-wide data on the achievement levels attained by 13- and 15?year-old students across the country and on the extent to which skills and knowledge develop between the ages of 13 and 15.
Which students write the PCAP assessments? In participating provinces and territories, a random sampling of schools is drawn. In these schools, only a random selection of 13- or 15-year-old students will write the assessment. The assessment is conducted in English and French.
Who funds PCAP? Provinces and territories fund PCAP through CMEC
Information & suggestions: pcap@cmec.ca
