The Fraser Institute released their provincial elementary school rankings last week, and among 978 schools, William Konkin Elementary ranked 969 – the lowest scoring in the area.
William Konkin Elementary scored 1.3 in the overall rating out of 10; Francois Lake Elementary scored 7.3 in the overall rating, ranking 191 among all schools in the province.
Silverthorne Elementary in Houston scored 6.4, ranking 389; and Twain Sullivan Elementary in Houston scored 7.7, ranking 141.
Not all schools in the Nechako Lakes school district are included in the elementary schools report card. Peter Cowley, Director of school performance studies for the Fraser Institute, said a school will only be included in the report if it has a minimum of 10 students enrolled in Grade 4.
This controversial annual report has had organizations questioning the efficacy of its methods.
“Similar to many, many public schools across this province, our educators have learned to take the Fraser Institute rankings in context of where they come from,” said Manu Madhok, Director of Instruction for School District No. 91 (Nechako Lakes).
“We work hard to not let the rankings demoralize our educators, but you can imagine what it feels like to have your school be judged in a report that is fundamentally flawed in design,” he added.
“We have a variety of assessment data that shows the gains our students are making year over year and although not always at the pace that we want for all students, we are focussed on ensuring success for every one of our learners,” he said. “This is not in response to the Fraser Institute, but rather our own accountability to our students and their families.”
The institute’s evaluations are based on Grade 4 and Grade 7 foundation skills test results. To check the provincial elementary school rankings, visit http://bit.ly/1QqA5dZ