Dr. Darryl Hunter is a former teacher, school administrator, and large-scale assessment administrator with experience in three Canadian provinces. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Alberta. He holds Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, an International Studies Diploma from Oxford University (UK), French as Second Language certificates from the University of Geneva (CH) and Laval University, and Master of Education and PhD degrees in Educational Administration from the University of Regina.

A farm boy from rural Saskatchewan, Darryl began his career as a teacher of English, French, and Social Studies. He later transitioned to school administration, serving as a vice-principal before becoming involved in developing large-scale assessment programs and contributing to education policy. He spent many years as the Director of Assessment and Evaluation with the Saskatchewan Department of Education, then became Senior Policy Advisor to the Executive Council of the Government of Saskatchewan. Over the following years, he held roles including Director of Assessment and Student Evaluation at the British Columbia (B.C.) Ministry of Education, Program Manager of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) with the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) in Ontario, and Executive Director of Accountability and Assessment at the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. During his time in Saskatchewan, he also served as a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Regina, where he taught courses such as Educational Administration, Program Evaluation, Politics in Education, and Leadership and Learning Assessment.

Over the past decade, Darryl has served in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, where he has taught a wide variety of courses, including Ethics and Law in Teaching, Introduction to Evaluating Educational Research, Organizational Theory, Educational Leadership, Working with Stakeholders in Rural Educational Contexts, and Fundamentals of Educational Research/Planning for Educational Change. A multi-award-winning academic, Dr. Hunter has authored or co-authored two editions of the book A Canadian Casebook for Law and Ethics in Teaching (2019 and 2024), written several book chapters, and published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles.

Dr. Hunter’s primary research interests lie at the intersection of educational administration, assessment, and policy. His current research examines how school principals and educators interpret and utilize data, such as statistical averages, differently based on their roles and values, highlighting the complexity involved in data use in education. He has served as a consultant and advisor on numerous projects in Canada, China, and across the Pacific Community of island nations, with a focus on how people interpret and apply numerical data in educational contexts. He is also investigating Canadian legal issues related to student evaluation from both an interprovincial and international perspective. Darryl expresses interest in supporting consulting and evaluation projects, where objectives and timelines are well-defined.

Darryl believes that the evolution of large-scale assessment from paper-based assessments to digital technology has been a positive development, acknowledging that virtually all of Canada’s provinces and territories have transitioned to online assessment using Vretta’s platform. He emphasizes the importance of data interpretation over data production. He highlights the potential of AI in assessment, while noting that the importance of developing high-quality questions remains central to all educational evaluation. Darryl is an expert in designing questions that elicit higher-order thinking and emotional responses, both in traditional assessment and through AI-supported information gathering. In his view, if the question is not structured effectively, the resulting response may lack validity or reliability.

Reflecting on his career achievements, Dr. Hunter highlights his contributions to curriculum development and large-scale assessment programs across multiple provinces, along with the impact he has made on students through his teaching and mentorship at the University of Alberta.

Outside of work, Darryl spends as much time as possible outdoors. Upon retirement, he and his wife plan to relocate from Alberta to Vancouver Island, where they can live close to nature and enjoy the woods and water. Darryl continues to derive satisfaction from occasionally helping out on the family farm in Saskatchewan.