The Fraser Institute has released its annual rankings of Alberta secondary schools; four Airdrie schools have made the top 100.
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"The Report Card on Alberta’s High Schools 2024 ranks 292 public, Catholic, independent and charter secondary schools based on eight academic indicators from Grade 12 provincewide testing, grade-to-grade transition and graduation rates," The Fraser Institute stated in a release.
Six Airdrie schools were included in the rankings, though the institute notes that not all schools can be rated and ranked.
"There must be at least 10 students enrolled at the school in grade 12. We must receive test results related to at least 10 students in the Language Arts 30 and Social Studies 30 diploma courses," The institute stated.
Where do Airdrie schools rank?
Airdrie Koinonia Christian, also known as Airdrie Christian Academy, ranked highest among the schools in Airdrie. The private school was ranked 60 out of the 292 schools across the province, with a 7.2 out of 10 overall score.
George McDougall (Rocky View Schools) and St. Martin De Porres (Calgary Catholic School District) tied for 71 place out of 292 across the province, achieving a seven out of 10 overall score.
W.H. Croxford (Rocky View Schools) was ranked 89 out of 292 schools across the province, with a 6.7 out of 10 overall score.
Bert Church (Rocky View Schools) was ranked 109 out of 292 schools across the province, with an overall score of 6.5 out of 10.
Airdrie Francophone was last among the Airdrie schools, ranking 186 out of 292 schools and scoring out of 10.
"The report card offers parents information they can’t easily get anywhere else about how schools perform over time and how they compare to other schools in Alberta," said Peter Cowley, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.
The top three spots were held by Calgary French & International, a private school, in the first place, Edmonton's Old Scona (public) in second place, and Webber Academy (private) in Calgary.
Contrary to common misconceptions, the data suggest every school can improve regardless of type, location and student characteristics.
The institute cited Forest Lawn High School as an example of one of the province’s fastest-improving schools. Its score climbed from 3.5 (out of 10) in 2017 to 6 in 2023, the latest year of comparable data. This is despite 46.2 percent of the school’s students being English Language Learners and 19 percent of students having special needs who require additional support.
Over the same period, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir, a private school in Okotoks, improved from a score of 8.2 to 9.7.
"We often hear that schools can’t improve student performance because of the communities and students they serve, but our school report card findings suggest otherwise," Cowley said.
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