Annual elementary school rankings released

Much like a report card, every year the Fraser Institute compiles a list of how Ontario elementary schools stack up.

The report released Sunday morning is 200 pages long and looks at 2,714 public, Catholic and francophone elementary schools.

The results are controversial, they are based on provincial tests scores in reading, writing and math in Grades 3 and 6.   School Board officials don’t agree with them.

But the right-wing think tank says the numbers show where improvements can be made.

“I can’t say that it’s not disappointing to see that they’re not higher up to be honest,” says Cassandra Taillon.

Her daughter’s school principal has been up front throughout the year letting parents know there is work to be done.  “The principal has been sending out communications and has been saying that she has been concerned about those scores.”

In Waterloo Region, the school with the lowest score is Christ the King Catholic School in Cambridge.  The top ranking school is Laurelwood Public tied for 25^th spot in the province.

Officials with both the public and Catholic school boards dismiss this report. They say it’s inaccurate and misleading.  They say (EQAO) tests are intended to give administrators a snap shot of how students are doing and not intended to rank schools.

In an email statement to CTV Kitchener, Marylou Mackie, Executive Superintendent of Education of Education, for the Waterloo Region District School Board says “The ranking does not take into account many important factors such as demographics and context.  Any assessment of school quality should be based on the complete picture of all programs and features of a school.”

The Fraser Institute says the rankings show what improvements need to be made.

“Your first concern is how is my son or daughter doing relative to all the other kids in Ontario.” says Peter Cowley, The Fraser Institute.

Read the full report here

Jing Tin, a parent who's daughter goes to a school in Waterloo, says she’s happy with her kid’s school but is curious about the results.  “I would like to see if they are getting better definitely.”

And that is what the Fraser Institute says the report is all about.

One of the top ranking schools in Southwestern Ontario is a school in Guelph.  Edward Johnson is tied for 1^st place with 16 other schools in the province.  Only three point one per cent of students tested were under the provincial average.