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Teachers are raising concerns about a new electronic tool being field-tested by Alberta Education.
The Inclusive Education Planning Tool (IEPT) is being field-tested on a trial basis in 57 school jurisdictions across Alberta this school year. IEPT is a digital resource designed to support classroom teachers in planning for differentiated instruction, based on the individual learning profiles of their students.
The IEPT is housed on the www.LearnAlberta.ca website and consists of student inventories and assessment tools to develop individual learner profiles, as well as resources for teachers that provide information on a number of special needs diagnoses.
The IEPT, although still under construction, currently supports planning for students’ social/emotional needs and language arts program. Participating jurisdictions designed the field test to suit their local situation. For example, some developed learner profiles for students with special needs, some limited the test to language arts and some developed learner profiles for all students.
Teachers have expressed concerns about the amount of work involved using the tool, which includes questionnaires or inventories on students, administering written assessments and developing learner profiles. The teacher then uses the data to plan for differentiated instruction.
Alberta Education recognized that creating learner profiles is an additional time commitment for teachers, so it was decided that teachers in the field test would not have to also develop individualized program plans for students in their classrooms. This concession is provided as a part of the field test to study whether the IEPT is appropriate for program planning for students with special needs.
The evaluation of the field test by Alberta Education is to include an online pre-survey and midpoint and post-surveys for all teachers involved. The Association is advocating for teachers on this matter and will be conducting its own survey of members in the new year.
