Two Airdrie high schools are in the top 50 schools in Alberta, according to the Fraser Institute’s Report Card on Alberta’s High Schools 2010.
Airdrie Koinonia Christian School ranked 29 and St. Martin de Porres High School came in at 44. The report card shows whether schools are improving or declining academically, based on Grade 12 province-wide exam results and grade-to-grade transition data provided by Alberta Education, the provincial ministry of education.
“We have to put this into perspective and it is just one indicator,” said Earl Driedger, principal of Airdrie Koinonia Christian School.
“While it doesn’t say everything, it does say something. However, being in the top 10 percentile is great.”
He attributes the high ranking to the continuity of curriculum in the K-12 school, small class sizes and parent involvement.
“The school is here because parents want it to be here,” he said.
“We are also very careful in our hiring, our teachers bring a wealth of experience. It is not just about delivering material but how that material is delivered.”
Driedger added Koinonia does not turn away students with special needs.
“We have a broad range of kids and we continually end up in the top 10 percentile in the province and that shows our students are working hard, teachers are doing their best and parents support us,” he said.
Airdrie Koinonia Christian School’s overall rating was 7.7 out of 10.
Bernard Downey, principal of St. Martin de Porres, said he is pleased about the school’s ranking.
“It is a tribute to the work we do here at the school,” he said.
“The Fraser report is a snapshot and it represents a small portion of what we do to ensure the success of our students.”
Downey attributes the school’s overall rating of 7.4 out of 10 to a well-rounded student focus.
“We know our students well and focus on a broad range, not just academics,” he said.
“We are developing a culture of achievement so students excel at what they are naturally good at.”
The school will be changing from Grade 7 to 12 to Grade 9-12 next year due to space constraints.
Downey said he feels the rating is accurate according to the measures used.
“The ranking is a direct reflection of the work staff and parents do with students,” he said.
Airdrie’s public high schools, George McDougall and Bert Church, ranked 44 and 92 respectively.
“I find the Fraser Institute report interesting but it is not as informative as people think,” said George McDougall principal Mark Davidson.
“There are many things it doesn’t take into account. We are pleased to see improvement over last year but I don’t take it too seriously. It is not an accurate reflection of the value or quality of Alberta schools.”
According to the report, more Alberta high school students received a failing grade on their provincial examinations in 2009 than in 2008. This year’s results show that 18.1 per cent of tests written by Alberta high school students in 2009 received a failing grade, compared to 15.8 per cent in 2008. In fact, this measure of student achievement has shown a statistically significant deterioration since 2005.
“The value of the Fraser Institute report card is exemplified by the fact that it identifies for parents and educators this trend of declining exam results,” said Peter Cowley, Fraser Institute director of school performance studies and co-author of the report card.
“Educators can identify areas in which improvement can be made and can seek advice from similar schools that have improved academically. The report card helps connect schools that may need help with those which have improved.”
Cowley said the report card contains enough data to allow for valid comparisons among schools and reiterated the purpose of the report card is to encourage schools to improve.
“Every school has the responsibility to provide its students, regardless of their personal characteristics or family background, with the academic skills they need to be successful in later life,” he said.
“The Fraser Institute report card is the only source for parents and educators to quickly and easily determine how their local schools are doing compared to the provincial average and compared to one another.”
Visit www.fraserinstitute.org for more information or to view the full report.
