The top four elementary schools in Delta are all private schools, according to the Fraser Institute.
On Thursday, March 14, the think tank released its controversial annual ranking of B.C. elementary schools.
The report card ranks 955 public and private elementary schools based on 10 academic indicators that are derived from the province-wide Foundation Skills Assessment results, according to a new release issued Thursday.
The ranking is often criticized for appearing to favour private schools and for only basing the rankings of the standardized tests, but the think tank believes it provides valuable information.
“The report card offers parents information they can’t easily get anywhere else, about how their child’s school performs over time and compares to other schools in B.C.,” said senior policy analyst Angela MacLeod.
READ MORE: Fraser Institute releases latest B.C. elementary school rankings
Southpointe Academy was Delta’s highest-ranked elementary school (66), followed by Sacred Heart (81), Delta Christian School (81) and Immaculate Conception School (95). The highest-ranked public school was Devon Gardens Elementary (215), rounding out the top five.
According to a press release, the think tank ranked the schools using 10 academic factors “derived from the province-wide Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) results,” which include average scores on reading, writing, and math of Grade 4 and 7 students.
Here’s how the rest of Delta’s elementary schools were ranked: Pebble Hill (261), Cliff Drive (285), English Bluff (396), Chalmers (396), Hellings (426), Gray (482), Beach Grove (482), Brooke (482), Holly (512), Jarvis (512), Pinewood (541), Richardson (541), Cougar Canyon (567), Sunshine Hills (567), Heath (567), Port Guichon (567), Ladner (617), South Park (633), Neilson (709), Gibson (759), Annieville (802), Hawthorne (802) and McCloskey (927).
Over the last five years, Gray, Beach Grove, Pinewood, Cougar Canyon, Gibson, Hawthorne, and McCloskey Elementaries all saw a downward trend in their ranking, while Richardson and Cliff Drive went up.
“Contrary to common misconceptions, the data suggest every school is capable of improvement regardless of type, location and student characteristics,” said the press release.
Enough with these ridiculous rankings. It's the same story every year from an organization that has nothing to do with education. So, let's mix things up. Hey #bced, what's your favourite gif to describe the @FraserInstitute?
— BCTF (@bctf) March 14, 2019
On Twitter, the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation dismissed the rankings, calling them “click-bait” and ridiculous. The Reporter reached out to the BCTF and the Delta Teachers’ Association, but did not get a response due to the spring break.
sasha.lakic@northdeltareporter.com
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