Ontario secondary schools have room for improvement: report

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Published May 26, 2020 at 12:41 am

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Many Ontario secondary schools underperformed in 2019, but some Mississauga schools earned top marks on a ranking of 739 educational institutions.

A report from The Fraser Institute has found that more secondary schools in Ontario declined in performance than those that improved.

The report ranks more than 700 anglophone and francophone public and Catholic schools, as well as a small number of independent and First Nations schools on nine academic indicators, which derive from annual provincewide reading, writing and math tests.

“The Report Card offers parents information they can’t easily get anywhere else, about how their child’s school performs over time and compares to other schools across Ontario,” Peter Cowley, a Fraser Institute senior fellow, said in a news release.

According to the findings, 73 schools across the province experienced a decline in performance, while only 47 schools showed an improvement in performance.

As far as Mississauga goes, some schools that came in high on the list include ISNA (4/739 with a score of 9.3), John Fraser (27/739 with a score of 8.5), and The Woodlands (42/739 with a score of 8.2). Other local schools rounding out the top 100 include St. Francis Xavier, Port Credit Secondary School, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and St. Marcellinus.

The top three schools include Wali ul Asr in Caledon, Markville in Markham and St. Michael’s Choir in Toronto. 

Further, despite common misconceptions, the data suggests every school is capable of improving despite its location, ranking, and demographic.

“We often hear excuses that some schools can’t improve student performance because of the communities and students they serve, but all over Ontario, there are schools with students facing significant challenges that still find ways to improve,” Cowley said.

To see the full list, click here

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