VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Fraser Institute today released its Report Card on British Columbia’s Secondary Schools, the most easily accessible tool for parents to compare the academic performance of their children’s schools.
This year’s Report Card ranks 251 public and independent secondary schools based on seven academic indicators using student results from annual provincewide exams, grade-to-grade transition rates, and graduation rates.
Of the top 53 schools in the ranking (seven were tied for 47th) 29 are independent schools and 24 are public schools. They’re located in 26 different cities and towns across the province, including Revelstoke, Summerland, Agassiz, Hope, and Duncan.
“All too often, we hear excuses that public schools can’t compete with independent schools because of the communities and students that they serve, but that’s just not true—every school can improve and strive to rank higher than the year before,” said Angela MacLeod, a Fraser Institute senior policy analyst.
This year, 36 schools showed statistically significant declines in performance over the past four years, and 33 showed statistically significant improvement.
Notably, of the top 10 fastest-improving schools—regardless of rank—seven are located outside the Greater Vancouver Area in Agassiz, Chilliwack, Invermere, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Terrace and 100 Mile House. In fact, none are in the City of Vancouver.
“This Report Card proves that improvement is possible in every corner of the province, in every type of school serving every type of student,” MacLeod said.
“Parents should use this Report Card every year to assess how their child’s school is doing, and when necessary, ask the principal how he or she plans to turn things around.”
For the complete results on all ranked schools, and to easily compare the performance of different schools, visit www.compareschoolrankings.org.
10 fastest-improving secondary schools in B.C. (fastest at the top)
| School | Location | Overall rating in 2014 (out of 10) | Overall rating in 2018 (out of 10) |
| Agassiz | Agassiz | 4.6 | 8.6 |
| GW Graham | Chilliwack | 5 | 8 |
| L A Matheson | Surrey | 2.6 | 5.7 |
| David Thompson | Invermere | 5.2 | 7.6 |
| Charles Hays | Prince Rupert | 3.7 | 5.4 |
| Mount Elizabeth | Kitimat | 3.2 | 5.7 |
| Samuel Robertson | Maple Ridge | 3.9 | 5.7 |
| Delview | Delta | 5 | 6.7 |
| Caledonia | Terrace | 4.9 | 7.1 |
| Peter Skene Ogden | 100 Mile House | 4.6 | 6.8 |
MEDIA CONTACT:
Angela MacLeod
Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute
To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:
Bryn Weese, Associate Director, Communications
Fraser Institute
(604) 688-0221 Ext. 589
E-mail: bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org