Elementary school rankings are out
Posted February 6, 2012 12:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A well-known right-wing think tank says some local elementary schools have great academic results even if they’re in less wealthy neighbourhoods. The rankings are based on the Foundation Skills Assessment test.
The Fraser Institute says of the top 20 fastest-improving schools, 16 of them are public.
Peter Cowley points to Burnaby’s Montecito Elementary public school which is in the top 10 for academic achievement, despite a lower than average income and a large number of ESL students.
“Often times the success of a school is in part the result of the principal making sure that everybody understands what the expectations are for learning.”
He adds they don’t look at why they’re doing well. “Montecito serves families with modest income. Nearly 40 per cent of the kids there are ESL kids, even given the family and personal characteristics of the kids at Montecito. This year they ranked 134th.”
The annual report ranks 860 public and independent schools BC-wide.
“This shows that academic excellence is possible in every school, regardless of the personal and family circumstances of its student population. Without province-wide testing and the Fraser Institute report card, measuring academic improvement and identifying success stories like these would be impossible.”
Top 20 Fastest-Improving BC Elementary Schools
-JS Clark (Public), Fort Nelson
-Lions Gate Christian (Independent), North Vancouver
-Muheim Memorial (Public), Smithers
-Sk’aadgaa Naay (Public), Skidegate
-GW Carlson (Public), Fort Nelson
-Cataline (Public), Williams Lake
-Iqra Islamic (Independent), Surrey
-Prespatou (Public), Prespatou
-Dasmesh Punjabi (Independent), Abbotsford
-Walter Lee (Public), Richmond
-Upper Pine (Public), Fort St. John
-McLeod Road (Public), Surrey
-Twain Sullivan (Public), Houston
-Myrtle Philip (Public), Whistler
-Halfmoon Bay (Public), Halfmoon Bay
-Bench (Public), Cowichan Bay
-Hillview (Public), Vernon
-Vanway (Public), Prince George
-Star of the Sea (Independent), Surrey
-WL McLeod (Public), Vanderhoof
