HOW DOES YOUR SCHOOL RATE?

A new report card on Ontario’s elementary schools shines a light on those that are helping kids overcome disadvantage

Louise Brown, The Toronto Star | Full Story | There are two schools in Toronto—one in the east and one in the west—where three-quarters of Grade 3 children hit the mark on province-wide tests.

Both of them beat the provincial average.

So why does a new report card on Ontario schools give one top marks, but suggest the other could do better?

Because this is the first yardstick of school performance that considers neighbourhood factors, including income, and only compares schools whose students come from similar backgrounds.

Since these two schools could not be more different, they are not pitted against each other under the ambitious new ratings released yesterday by the non-profit C.D. Howe Institute (read full report). Instead, they are compared with schools of like background and, in that light, they earn very different marks. [CoughcoughDarcelSeniorPublicSchool100thpercentilecoughcough...] Educators are hailing these new socially sensitive ratings for recognizing the role family background plays in learning.

“There’s no point comparing apples to bananas—let’s compare apples to apples and see what we can do to improve,” said St. George’s principal Michelle Drimmie Miller, who says her school is working hard to pinpoint how to boost student learning. >>

Published 07.03.01 02:00:00 -0500 GMT | Posted by Andrew Garib on 07.03.09 | |