Foundation Skills Assessment 2026

 Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of Students in Grades 4 & 7,

 Re: Foundation Skills Assessment 2026

This is the time of year when our students in grades 4 & 7 begin participating in the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). This annual provincial assessment measures students’ academic skills and provides the District with a snapshot of students’ foundational skills in literacy and numeracy. All students in grades 4 & 7 are required by the Ministry of Education and Child Care to participate in FSA.

Parents and caregivers who would like more information about the FSA, including sample questions, brochures, and frequently asked questions, can visit the Ministry's Foundation Skills Assessment webpage: Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) - Province of British Columbia.

The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is a legislated provincial assessment and is considered part of the regular curriculum, instruction, and learning that takes place at school. As such, schools will not be providing alternate instruction or programming for students on the days the FSA is being administered. Students who attend school on scheduled assessment days will be expected to participate in the FSA unless a decision has been made at the school level to exclude an individual student from participating, based on the criteria established for FSA participation. We appreciate families’ support in ensuring students attend school regularly and participate fully in the learning and assessment activities that form part of their educational program.

The District does not use the FSA data to rank or compare schools, teachers, or students. The results of the FSA serve as an important tool to support student learning in SD83. Results from the assessment data assists in supporting the alignment of resources during our annual budget discussions. It is important to note that FSA data is not part of the formal student evaluation process and is not included in student report cards.

 Some quick facts about the FSA include:

• The FSA is written in sections that are spread over six weeks between September 28 – November 6, 2026.
• FSA data is not part of the formal student evaluation process and is not included in student report cards.
• Most students required a total of 3.75 hours over those 6 weeks to complete all the components of the FSA. Students requiring additional time are provided with that time.
• The written response section of the FSA is marked within the District by our educators.
• The First Nations Leadership Council of BC strongly supports the FSA, identifying it as an important tool to assist learning and gauge system progress in improving outcomes for Indigenous learners.
• English Language Learning (ELL) students who have not reached a level of proficiency sufficient to provide meaningful responses to the literacy or numeracy sections of the FSA are excused from participating.
• School principals may excuse students whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) documents a learning need, that precludes the student from writing the FSA.
• Principals may excuse a student in the event of a family emergency, lengthy illness, or other extenuating circumstances of similar seriousness.

 I trust this information will clarify any questions you may have about the Foundation Skills Assessment.

 As always, I thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in your child(ren)’s learning.

Sincerely,

Donna Kriger
Superintendent of Schools

Additional Resources:

Downloadable Letter to Grades 4 & 7 Parents Regarding Foundation Skills Assessment 2026

Foundation Skills Assessment (District webpage)