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Foundational Skills Assessment

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Message to Parents:
Foundational Skills Assessment (FSA)

Are you a parent of a Grade 4 or Grade 7 student?

The Surrey Teachers’ Association recognizes that many families have concerns about the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). We believe that meaningful classroom assessment, not standardized testing, best supports student learning. We want you to have clear, accurate information about your rights and options in Surrey (School District 36).

Together, parents and teachers can advocate for assessments that truly respect children’s needs.

Withdraw your Child from the FSA

Why Teachers Are Concerned About the FSA

  • The FSA is not part of the regular BC curriculum and does not count toward your child’s grades or report cards, yet they take up a significant amount of instructional time (testing can take a minimum of 4 hours, often spread out over a week).
  • Teachers already use ongoing classroom assessments to track student progress and adapt instruction to meet individual needs. These give a more accurate picture of your child’s learning than a one-time standardized test.
  • The FSA was not designed to measure individual student growth and does not provide useful feedback for students, parents, or teachers.
  • Standardized testing often shifts focus toward “teaching to the test” instead of encouraging deeper learning.
  • Research shows students can become discouraged by standardized tests, which may hurt their confidence and willingness to engage.
  • The results are often misused to rank schools, which can be misleading, distorting public perception and harming school communities.

Parents have the right to request that their child be excused from the FSA.

Your child’s education will not be affected by withdrawing them from the FSA. Teachers will continue to assess and support their learning.

  • Step 1 – Send a withdrawal request

    Principals may excuse students when

    • your child has significant learning needs (IEP),
    • your child is an English Language Learner with limited proficiency, or
    • there are extenuating circumstances (family emergency, lengthy illness, significant well-being concerns).

    Start by sending a withdrawal request to your principal before testing dates using one of these forms

  • Step 2 – If refused, ask for the reasons in writing

    Subject: Request for Reconsideration of FSA Exemption
    Body: I am requesting reconsideration of the refusal to exempt my child, ________________________, from the Foundation Skills Assessment. I believe they qualify under [briefly state extenuating circumstance: e.g., IEP/ELL considerations, family emergency, lengthy illness, significant well-being concerns].

    Please confirm in writing whether the exemption will now be granted.

  • Step 3 – Submit an appeal to the district

    Instructions

    • Complete all sections (student info, decision appealed, grounds, remedy, contact info).
    • Attach supporting documents.
    • Submit to the Secretary-Treasurer’s Office at sect-office@surreyschools.ca within 15 school days.
    • Keep a copy and request a dated receipt.

Other Actions Parents Can Take

If you’ve been pressured to have your child write the FSAs against your wishes, or if your exemption request was refused, you can:

  • Share on social media.

Parents should not be told to keep their children at home if they are not going to write the FSAs. Children have the right to attend school, and schools can easily accommodate students who are not writing the FSA.

Learn more on the BCTF FSA Page.

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