Overview

Alberta is renewing the kindergarten to Grade 12 (K to 12) curriculum, starting with K to 6. The curriculum development process is happening over a number of years.

Timeline

Since beginning this process in 2019, we have renewed and released the following K to 6 curriculums:

  • April 2022
    • English language arts and literature
    • mathematics
    • physical education and wellness
  • March 2023
    • science
    • French first language and literature
    • French immersion language arts and literature
  • In September 2022, province-wide implementation began for the new:
    • K to 6 physical education and wellness curriculum 
    • K to 3 mathematics and English language arts and literature curriculums  
  • In September 2023, province-wide implementation began for the new:
    • grades 4 to 6 mathematics and English language arts and literature curriculums
    • K to 3 French first language and literature, French immersion language arts and literature, and science curriculums

Learn about the supports and resources available to support teachers and students with curriculum implementation.

Engagement (2023-24)

  • Curriculum consultation groups

    From September 2023 to January 2024, we met with education partners, teachers, multicultural organizations, Indigenous and francophone communities and other education specialists to inform development of the scope and sequence of K to 12 social studies curriculum and the content of draft K to 6 social studies curriculum.

    Curriculum development specialists  

    We contracted curriculum development specialists to work directly with department staff to provide input into the process for the development of draft K to 6 social studies curriculum throughout fall 2023. These specialists were invited to participate based on their expertise in social studies and curriculum development.

    Members included:

    • Jean Claude Couture, University of Alberta
    • Kathryn Crawford, Ambrose University
    • Meyranie Giroux, Conseil Scolaire Centre-Nord
    • Craig Harding, Mount Royal University
    • Yvonne Poitras Pratt, University of Calgary
    • Pierre Rousseau, University of Alberta
    • David Scott, University of Calgary
    • Amy von Heyking, University of Lethbridge, provided a written submission

    Curriculum content contributors

    We invited curriculum content contributors to provide input that was considered in the development of the scope and sequence of K to 12 social studies curriculum and the content of draft K to 6 social studies curriculum.

    These individuals are part of the academic community and have significant experience in areas that pertain to social studies content, including politics, civics, geography, economics and history.

    Members included:

    • Andy Knight, University of Alberta
    • Rob Aitken, University of Alberta
    • Keith Archer, University of Calgary
    • Barry Cooper, University of Calgary
    • Joshua D. Goldstein, University of Calgary
    • Michel Kelly-Gagnon, Montreal Economic Institute

    Teacher curriculum consultation group

    School authorities were invited to nominate teachers to participate in the teacher curriculum consultation group. We reviewed all nominations to ensure a diverse and representative sample of certificated Alberta teachers were chosen from all types of school authorities and geographic locations.

    Members included:

    • Alison Katzko
    • Alison Stewart
    • Amanda Kiat
    • Christine Hamre
    • Christine Nadeau
    • Darren Krasowski
    • Debbie Mineault
    • Debra Santos
    • Eric Walker
    • Fiona Stocker
    • Jeney Gordon
    • Jennifer Perry
    • Julie Howatson
    • Julie Showalter
    • Karena Hartson
    • Kerry Carr-Jeschke  
    • Lauren Crittenden
    • Lisa Iversen
    • Lynn Leslie
    • Paris Engram  
    • Samantha Davidson
    • Shala Vollman-Taki
    • Shara O'Connor
    • Sharon McLean
    • Stacey Shields
    • Sydney Blondin
    • Sylvette Fillion

  • Preliminary survey

    From September 18 to October 16, 2023, more than 12,800 surveys were completed by Albertans who provided input about what they would like students to learn in new social studies curriculum. Find out what they said:

    Leger Report – Social Studies Curriculum Engagement (English only)

    Education partner feedback and preliminary survey results were used to inform development of the draft social studies curriculum before it was publicly released for further engagement.

  • Public feedback form

    In March 2024, we released a new draft K to 12 social studies subject overview and draft K to 6 social studies curriculum for Albertans to review and provide feedback on.  

    From March 14 to April 2, 2024, Albertans could provide input on key learnings in the new draft K to 12 social studies curriculum through an online feedback form.

    Learn more at Have your say.

    Albertans’ feedback will be used to further refine the new draft K to 6 social studies curriculum before it is released in the spring to help teachers prepare for classroom piloting.

    A summary of feedback received will be shared in a What We Heard Report.

Implementation and piloting (2024)

Grades 4 to 6 science, French first language and literature, and French immersion language arts and literature curriculums will be implemented in all elementary classrooms starting in September 2024. 

Since 2021, school authorities have been invited to pilot the draft K to 6 curriculum in classrooms each year, if they chose. They have the flexibility to pilot an entire curriculum or focus on piloting one or 2 subjects in classrooms.

We support school authorities with classroom piloting by providing professional learning sessions and opportunities to collaborate across the province, as well as funding to help teachers prepare for new curriculum implementation in the following school year.

In the 2024-25 school year, school authorities will have the option to participate in a piloting process to work with the draft K to 6 social studies curriculum in classrooms and provide further feedback before final implementation.

Engagement (later date)

Draft fine arts curriculum will be made available at a later date for further engagement with Albertans and education stakeholders before it is piloted and then implemented.

Next grades

Recognizing the timeline for new K to 6 curriculum has been adjusted, the work to draft curriculum for grades 7 to 12 will be sequenced accordingly.

Supports and resources for teachers and students

In the 2023-24 school year, we invested $47 million in teacher professional learning, along with learning and teaching resources, to make sure teachers and students are equipped for the new K to 6 curriculum in classrooms.

Alberta Education also provided teachers across the province with the following supports and resources on new.LearnAlberta.ca so they could prepare for the school year:

  • the final K to 6 French first language and literature, French immersion language arts and literature, and science curriculums
  • the Provincial Resource Review Guide with guidelines for selecting learning and teaching resources aligned with the new curriculums
  • bridging resources to help transition from the current curriculums to the new curriculums
  • videos and support documents with an overview and orientation to the new curriculums
  • planning tools such as sample lesson plans
  • boards, a tool that allows for teacher planning, collaboration and sharing
  • information about flexible professional learning opportunities

Curriculum development history (2019-2023)

  • August 2019 to December 2020

  • August to November 2020

    • Alberta Education designed and developed new K to 6 curriculum.

  • August 2020 to February 2021

    • Nineteen elders and subject matter experts provided advice based on their subject matter expertise and lived experience.
    • Learn more about the Advisors on Draft Curriculum

  • December 2020

    • The K to 6 curriculum working group, consisting of about 100 teachers from across Alberta, met virtually to discuss the draft curriculum.
    • Download the member list: Curriculum Working Group Members – Kindergarten to Grade 6 
    • Approximately 30 Faculty of Education deans and professors from Alberta’s post-secondary institutions reviewed the draft K to 6 curriculum.

  • March 2021 to February 2022

    • The draft K to 6 curriculum was publicly released online on March 29, 2021, for review. Since then, Albertans have provided feedback many ways, including:
      • an online survey from March 2021 until February 2022
      • virtual sessions hosted by Alberta Education staff between May 2021 and February 2022
      • virtual engagement sessions where nearly 600 participants shared diverse viewpoints on each subject area and the draft social studies design blueprint in February 2022

  • June 2021 to March 2022

    • In June 2021, Alberta Education began conversations with education partners to share information and discuss the draft K to 6 curriculum.
    • Alberta Education provided approximately $800,000 in grants to support partner groups in conducting consistent and coordinated engagements with their communities so their unique perspectives could be heard.

  • January to June 2022