Letters sent home with students of First Nations School Board schools show that the nationwide issue of low literacy rates is being seen in the Yukon as well. However, according to the FNSB literacy department, they are continuing to help students improve that literacy. The notices were sent home in November with each primary student (grades one to three) attending a FNSB school.
The notices review how that student scored in three standardized screening tests, looking at fluency, decoding and word recognition. The student’s score is compared with average scores for that grade across the board. It also compared those scores with the range of scores achieved by children across North America.
The tests were first administered in 2022, when the FNSB began, for the purpose of data collection, said Megan Norris, one of the school board’s literacy coaches whose job it is to help teachers across the board with student literacy. She said there was no baseline data around literacy in FNSB schools when they were taken over by the FNSB in 2022. One of their first priorities, she said, would be to get that information.
Norris said it was also important to ensure that information about students’ literacy was being communicated to families. “Part of that is because we want to provide parents with knowledge, equip them with the knowledge about how their child is doing in specific areas, so that they can be strong advocates for their child in their education journey,” she said. The .