Psycho-Educational Assessment Access Act

Summary#

• This bill creates a temporary committee to study how to improve students’ access to psycho-educational assessments and school-based mental health supports in Alberta. A psycho-educational assessment is a detailed learning and thinking test done by a registered psychologist to find barriers to a student’s success.

• The committee must report within one year. Within the following year, the Minister of Education must introduce a new bill to carry out the recommendations. This act ends three years after it becomes law.

• Sets up a 10‑member School Psychology Services Committee with seats for large, medium, and small school boards, Indigenous peoples, newcomers (permanent residents or refugees), teachers/school staff, psychologists, and a senior Education official.

• Reviews other provinces’ policies, looks at training and support for teachers, and studies barriers like cost, wait times, bias in who gets referred, and lack of staff or funding.

• Can request data from the Education Ministry, hear public input, and publish submissions in its report.

• Must recommend ways to improve access to assessments, remove cost barriers, and strengthen student mental health services.

• Requires the Education Minister to introduce a follow-up bill to implement the recommendations.

What it means for you#

• Students and families

  • No immediate change to services. The bill begins a study that could lead to changes.
  • You may be able to share your experiences through written or verbal submissions.
  • Future changes could include shorter wait times, clearer referral processes, or public coverage of assessment costs, depending on the later bill.

• Newcomer and Indigenous families

  • Dedicated seats on the committee aim to ensure your voices are heard.
  • The study will look at bias and access gaps that may affect your children.

• Teachers and school staff

  • The committee will review teacher training and support for inclusive classrooms.
  • You have a representative on the committee and may be asked for input.
  • Future recommendations could affect classroom supports and professional development.

• School boards

  • Multiple board representatives will sit on the committee.
  • You may be asked to share data on assessments, costs, staffing, and student needs.
  • Later changes could affect funding, staffing levels, and referral practices.

• Psychologists and mental health providers

  • One seat is reserved for a registered psychologist.
  • The process may point to increased demand for assessments and school-based services in the future.

• Timeline

  • Committee report: within 1 year of the law taking effect.
  • Minister’s follow-up bill: within 1 year of the report being tabled in the Legislature.
  • This act expires 3 years after it becomes law.

Expenses#

Estimated cost: modest administrative expenses to run a temporary 10-member committee; any major spending would depend on the later bill.

• Costs may include member pay (if any), travel and other expense reimbursements, and ministry staff support.
• Public consultations and publishing the report also add small administrative costs.
• This bill does not fund assessments or new services; larger costs would only arise if the follow-up bill expands coverage or staffing.

Proponents' View#

• Creates a clear plan to fix long waits, high costs, and uneven access to assessments across Alberta.
• Brings together key voices—school boards of different sizes, Indigenous peoples, newcomers, teachers, and psychologists.
• Uses data, public input, and lessons from other provinces to guide practical solutions.
• Focuses on both learning needs (including gifted students) and mental health needs.
• Sets firm deadlines so recommendations lead to action, not just another report.

Opponents' View#

• Adds another committee and delays direct help to students who need assessments now.
• Requires the Minister to introduce a bill based on the committee’s recommendations, which some see as limiting government flexibility.
• May duplicate work already underway in schools, health services, or the ministry.
• Representation may still miss some groups or regions, and larger boards have more seats than smaller ones.
• Publishing public submissions could raise privacy concerns if not handled carefully.
• If recommendations lead to fully funded assessments and more staffing, future costs to government could be significant.