urbanriot I recall many such tests in my time in school in two provinces. They were used, among other things, to stream students into specific areas that they were allegedly “proficient” in. There was little evidence they did any of that, other than confirm test-based societal bias grounded in race, language and other factors. In addition, comparators with other geographic areas were specious, as tests were based on language competence, which can be affected by many other factors, including economic status.
In my own singular case, a school principal told my parents that I would end up a juvenile delinquent, based on school testing. Fifteen years later, I asked a another school principal, a family friend, working in the same school board, to tell his colleague that not only was I not a juvenile delinquent but that I had earned two degrees (Batchelor and Master) from a top Canadian university and was embarking on a promising career.
In school testing today, at least in Ontario, is used as a cover for inadequate funding of educational infrastructure and repeated attempts at union-busting. The educational system is not failing. The government is failing the educational system.