Assessment and Reporting in Saskatchewan Math

Quick answer: Saskatchewan math is reported against outcomes, and the indicators under each outcome tell you what depth of evidence counts. There is no provincial graduation exam, so your professional judgement carries the whole weight of a student's record. Build assessment around a small number of outcomes per term, collect evidence that matches the indicators, and keep the wording of the curriculum in your grade book.

What are outcomes and indicators asking a math teacher to do?

The Saskatchewan Curriculum states each outcome as what a student must know and be able to do by the end of a grade, then lists indicators showing the breadth and depth expected. Indicators are not a checklist to tick in order; they describe what sufficient evidence looks like. Teachers may also add their own, and reading the indicators before planning rather than after is what makes that useful.

That structure changes how a unit is planned. Start from the outcome, decide which indicators your class will demonstrate, and only then choose activities - the reverse of building a sequence of lessons and labelling it afterwards. The ministry publishes the curriculum through its online portal, so the exact wording is always available to paste directly into your planning document.

How should reporting work without a provincial exam?

Because Saskatchewan has no universal provincial graduation exam and awards the certificate on a defined credit count, nothing external moderates your marks. Every judgement in the report card is yours to defend, which makes consistency across a department more important than precision within one gradebook. Two teachers marking one outcome should agree on what proficient looks like before either marks a set.

Practically, that means fewer and better assessment events. One rich task per outcome, marked against the indicators, gives a clearer picture than eight quizzes averaged together. Keeping samples of work the department agreed were proficient is also the quickest way to settle a disagreement in June. Teachers who have taught elsewhere can see how other jurisdictions handle the same problem through the Canadian Curriculum Navigator: Resources by Province collection.

Where do the early grades need the most evidence?

Number sense is where outcomes-based reporting either works or collapses. A grade 3 student who can count on but cannot partition a number will pass a worksheet and fail the outcome, and the difference only shows when you watch them work. Short, frequent tasks with room for a drawn explanation catch that gap; a score out of ten does not.

Free Math Resource Pack – Number Sense for Grades 1–4 is a free set of number sense material for grades 1-4, which makes it an easy way to test this approach before committing to anything. Use one task a week as your evidence for the outcome and mark it against your own indicators. The wider provincial collection, organized by grade, sits on the Saskatchewan Curriculum Teaching Resources (K–12) listing.

What about senior classes and teacher workload?

Senior math carries the heaviest reporting load, because the outcomes are wider and a grade matters immediately to students applying onward. Divisions that offer AP sections alongside provincial courses have a second set of expectations running in the same room. AP Calculus Exam Prep Workbook | AP Calculus AB & BC Review gives those classes a structured review workbook, which keeps exam preparation separate from your outcome marking.

Workload is the honest constraint behind all of this. Ministry initiatives responding to the Provincial Auditor's findings on Indigenous graduation rates have added planning and tracking expectations to divisions, and that time comes from somewhere. Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates) is aimed squarely at that problem, with planning templates and routines for teachers trying to keep assessment sustainable across a full year.

Frequently asked questions

Are these resources connected to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education?

No. They are independent teaching materials and are not affiliated with, approved by, or endorsed by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education or any school division. Teachers match them to the outcomes and indicators of the Saskatchewan Curriculum themselves, exactly as they would with any published resource.

Can I write my own indicators?

Yes. The curriculum states that indicators describe the breadth and depth of an outcome and that teachers may add their own. What you cannot do is narrow the outcome itself, so any indicator you write should sit inside its scope rather than replace part of it.

How many outcomes should one assessment task cover?

One or two is usually the limit if you want the result to mean anything. A task covering five outcomes produces one number that hides which part a student understood. Narrower tasks marked more often give you and the family a clearer picture.

What if a purchased file does not suit my class?

Check the description and preview first, since these are instant downloads rather than a subscription. Each listing states the grade range and format before purchase. For a file that will not open, or any question about returns, see the store's refund policy.

Related reading

• Saskatchewan Math: Planning a Unit to the Saskatchewan Curriculum
• Saskatchewan: Teaching Math with Multilingual Learners
• Saskatchewan Curriculum Teaching Resources (K–12)