The 2011-2012 school year will see the ninth administration of the Elementary Literacy Assessment, the purpose of which is to monitor the progress of individual students in meeting a representative number of reading and viewing and writing outcomes of the Atlantic Canada English Language Arts Curriculum. The assessment provides information about individual students and their levels of literacy particular to the assessment context and the outcomes addressed in the assessment. The assessment was developed by elementary school teachers, representing all school boards in Nova Scotia, under the direction of Evaluation Services of the Department of Education.

The assessment will be administered during the first hour-and-a-half on the mornings of October 4, 5, 6, and 7, 2011, and all grade 6 students in public schools in Nova Scotia will participate in the assessment, with the exception of students with an Individual Program Plan (IPP) in English language arts. Students will read a variety of materials, and will answer questions questions based on those readings. Materials will include information texts, short stories, poetry, and visual media texts. Students also will write a persuasive letter and a story.

The assessment will be scored on November 2-5, 2011 by elementary school teachers, again representing all school boards in Nova Scotia. Individual student reports will be sent to schools, and will be distributed to parents and guardians.