Ontario’s Best Public Schools Revealed by In-Depth Report: C.D. Howe Institute

TORONTO, June 7, 2012 /CNW/ – A new in-depth report reveals Ontario’s
best public schools: where student results on math, reading and writing
tests beat the odds that their backgrounds suggest. In “Ontario’s Best
Public Schools: 2009-2011,” David Johnson and Robbie Brydon compare
student outcomes at Ontario elementary schools where students come from
similar socio-economic backgrounds, revealing “good” schools where
principals, teachers and staff are making a noticeably positive
difference to student performance.

The resulting school ratings, by percentile, are useful not only to
parents, but to teachers, school board administrators and education
officials who wish to identify schools whose practices deserve
imitation, or where improvement is warranted.

Several schools achieve positive student outcomes that exceed the
expectations suggested by socio-economic factors. Another
thought-provoking finding is that students who attend middle schools
starting in Grade 6 underperform compared to similar students at other
elementary schools.

“How do parents, teachers, taxpayers and school administrators know if
children are attending a good school? We help to answer that question
by comparing schools on an “apples to apples” basis,” said Professor
Johnson. “Educators need to focus on what these schools are doing right
to outdistance their peers.”

The C. D. Howe Institute is an independent not-for-profit research
institute whose mission is to raise living standards by fostering
economically sound public policies. It is Canada’s trusted source of
essential policy intelligence, distinguished by research that is
nonpartisan, evidence-based and subject to definitive expert review. It
is considered by many to be Canada’s most influential think tank.

For the e-brief and complete listing of school results go to: http://www.cdhowe.org/ontario_best_public_schools_2009-2011/17939

SOURCE C.D. Howe Institute