CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraged by the latest Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) results which show improved outcomes for Prince Edward Island grade eight students in the subject areas of reading, math and science.
PCAP, an initiative of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada is a national student assessment of reading, math and science skills, administered every three years to grade eight students. Each assessment focuses on a major domain with a minor concentration on the two other domains. In 2016, the major domain was reading, with math and science the minor. The 2016 P.E.I. results highlighted positive change in all three domain areas, with outcomes aligning with the Canadian average.
“Ensuring our students have the skills they need for future success is an important determinant of current and future economic sustainability. Chamber members know and continue to express that the quality of our education system and the economic well-being of our province are closely intertwined,” said Rory Francis, President of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce. “It is for this reason that these results are encouraging, and should be used as a catalyst toward continued excellence in P.E.I.’s K-12 education system.”
The Chamber notes the importance of formal and publicly reported evaluations of our K-12 students’ education outcomes. The assessments are a tool to determine if and how progress is being made. The results should also be a determinant of where additional resources may be required in the education system.
“While we welcome the latest PCAP results for grade eight students, continuous improvement across all P.E.I.’s educational assessments should be the goal,” said Francis. “It takes continued effort by parents, educators, the business community, students and governments to create a successful, high-performing education system. We hope today’s results serve as motivation for everyone involved to continue to make education in P.E.I. the best it possibly can be for our students.”
The Chamber recently hosted a panel on K-12 education with speakers from varied backgrounds and perspectives on education. The panel which included audience engagement was intended to generate conversation about the importance of improving educational outcomes in the province. Future events to continue this dialogue are planned for the fall of 2018.
With close to 1,000 members, the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce reflects a diverse network of small, medium and large businesses from almost every industry sector and business profession.