The Fraser Institute has released its controversial annual ranking of B.C. elementary schools.
In Prince Rupert, the independent Annunciation School again scored the highest spot, with a 2017/18 rating of 8.4 out of 10 and a rank of 88th out of 955 elementary schools total.
Lax Kxeen tied with Roosevelt Park for a rating of 5.6, the first time the schools have received passing grades in more than 10 years.
Lax Kxeen also registered the highest rise in the ranks of all Rupert schools, from 717th out of 805 schools in the most recent five years to 567th out of the 955 schools in 2017/18.
Senior policy analyst Angela MacLeod told the Northern View that a score of 5.6 is still slightly below the provincial average, but that Lax Kxeen is trending in the right direction.
“The ratings are standardized so that the average in the province is always 6,” MacLeod said. “At 5.6 this year they are still slightly below average, but are certainly trending in the right direction.”
Pineridge and Conrad once again received failing grades, rated and ranked at 4.3 and 802nd, and 3.9 and 844th, respectively.
READ MORE: 16 of 20 fastest improving B.C. schools are public — Fraser Institute
The report card ranks public and private elementary schools based on 10 academic indicators that are derived from the province-wide Foundation Skills Assessment results.
Since the Coast Tsimshian Academy did not have at least 10 students in Grades 4 and 7 writing the FSA reading, writing and numeracy exams in the 2017/18 academic year, the school was not included in the institute’s most recent results.
MacLeod said the Lax Kw’alaams academy was not included because the institute did not have enough data available to calculate a score out of 10.
“It should not be interpreted as any kind of assessment as to the quality of a school,” MacLeod said, adding that the school will be included again when it has more than 10 students writing each of the exams.
READ MORE: Fraser Institute releases latest B.C. elementary school rankings
The ranking is often criticized for appearing to favour private schools and for only basing the rankings of the standardized tests, but the think tank believes it provides valuable information.
“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 in B.C.,” MacLeod stated in a news release last week.
READ MORE: North Coast schools get a failing grade in Fraser Institute report
karissa.gall@blackpress.ca
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