The Fraser Institute recently released its annual ranking of Alberta secondary schools, and an Okotoks school ranked high on the list.
As part of the ranking process, they look at eight different indicators to determine the ranking.
Those include things like the average diploma examination mark, the percentage of diploma examinations failed, the difference between the school mark and examination mark in diploma courses, and more.
This year's report card ranks 292 public, Catholic, independent, and charter secondary schools, based on those eight indicators that are generated from Grade 12 provincewide testing, grade-to-grade transition, and graduation rates.
"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 the Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institue, Peter Cowley in a media release.
While there is often the misconception that schools cannot improve due to socio-economic and geographic factors, data provided by the Fraser Institute suggests that misconception is inaccurate.
For example, the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir private school in Okotoks improved their ranking and is now in the top five in the province.
They went from a score of 8.2 to 9.7 from 2017 to 2023, raising them up to fourth place.
Unfortunately, this ranking list doesn't include all of the high schools in the province, due to the excluded schools having fewer than 10 students enrolled in grade 12 or not having generated enough data to determine a score.
How did the schools in Foothills County rank on the list?
Past the top three, which are all tied with a perfect ten out of ten score, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir ranked fourth with a score of 9.7, which is up from the 9.0 score and sixth place ranking they had previously held.
Holy Trinity Academy's rating went up from an 8.0 to an 8.2 rating, and now they are ranked 26th in the province.
The Foothills Composite High School is tied for 69th place with a score of 7.1, which is up from their previous score of 6.8.
Foothills Digital School is ranked at 268 in the province with a score of 3.5, while Summit West in Okotoks is in 287th place with a score of 0.8.
Meanwhile, Highwood High School in High River has a score of 6.3 and is tied for 124th place, and Notre Dame Collegiate is tied for 164th place with a score of 6.0.
The Oilfields school in Black Diamond came in 186th place with a score of 5.7.
Two of the three schools tied for first place are in Calgary, while the third is in Edmonton.
Meanwhile, the Fraser Institute's report card on Alberta's Elementary schools, released in September, saw two Okotoks schools in the top 20.
Strathcona-Tweedsmuir is sitting in eighth place with a score of 9.7, while Edison School is in 17th place with a score of 9.2.
Tanbridge Academy in Foothills County placed 147th with a score of 7.4.
To see the full results of the report, click here.