The Fraser Institute has released its 2013 School Report Card, which ranks secondary schools in B.C.
“The Fraser Institute Report Card consistently demonstrates that some schools find ways to do better regardless of the challenges students face,” said Peter Cowley, Fraser Institute director of school performance studies. “Improvement is a reality in schools from Port Alberni in the west to Kimberley in the east, and from Prince George to the north to Victoria in the south.”
In fact, Kimberley’s Selkirk Secondary makes the list as one of 30 schools in the province that is consistently improving.
The Fraser Institute rankings are somewhat controversial.
The rankings are calculated solely based on academic indicators taken from the Foundational Skills Assessment tests, which the B.C. Teachers’ Federation has been fighting to have replaced for years.
The rankings also tend to favour private schools in Victoria and Vancouver which appear at the top of the list each year.
Regardless, Selkirk Secondary has been showing consistent improvement in the past five years, rising this year to 48 out of 293 secondary schools in the province and a 7.6 out of 10 for overall academic performance.
Cranbrook’s Mount Baker comes in at 161 of 293, David Thompson in Invermere at 147 and Golden Secondary at 161, tied with Mount Baker.