A new report shows that many good elementary schools are located in Ottawa, but the city also has some lower-ranking ones.
The Fraser Institute, a research organization, released a Report Card on Ontario’s Elementary Schools 2024 on Thursday, assessing schools based on statistics from 2023.
While the report card provides a rating of each school’s academic performance, a ranking out of 10 is determined based on nine factors. Indicators include average reading and math levels of students in grades 3 and 6, as well as the difference between male and female students Grade 6 reading and math.
“Where parents can choose among several schools for their children, the Report Card provides a valuable tool for making a decision,” the Fraser Institute wrote in a press release. “Because it makes comparisons easy, it alerts parents to those nearby schools that appear to have more effective academic programs.”
More than 3,000 schools were assessed in this study of elementary schools across Ontario.
While over 20 schools in the GTA, Cambridge, Niagara Falls and more received a perfect score, Ottawa’s highest-ranking schools fell slightly under this, scoring from 9.1 to 9.8.
The city’s top five elementary schools are located in Kanata, including Stephen Leacock, St. Isabel, W. Erskine Johnston, St. Gabriel and St. Anne elementary schools, the data shows.
Stephen Leacock and St. Isabel elementary schools both ranked in 25th place, putting them in the top one per cent of all schools across Ontario.
Additionally, W. Erskine Johnston and St. Gabriel also received high ratings, placing both in the top two per cent of all Ontario schools.
Schools that ranked just below Ottawa’s top five — ranging between 8.6-9.0 — are as follows: Hopewell Avenue Public School (9.0), St. George (8.9), Woodroffe Avenue (8.7), Elmdale (8.6).
Top 5 Schools in Ottawa:
- Stephen Leacock – 9.8 (25th place)
- St. Isabel – 9.8 (25th place)
- W. Erskine Johnston – 9.5 (42nd place)
- St. Gabriel – 9.3 (53rd place)
- St. Anne – 9.1 (77th place)
The remaining bottom-five Ottawa schools include W.E Gowling in Carlington, Queen Mary Street in Overbrook, Dunlop Public School in South Keys, and Riverview Alternative in Riverview Park, the report said.
They fall in the lowest three per cent of schools in Ontario.
Bottom 5 Schools in Ottawa:
- W.E Gowling – 2.3 (2,928th place)
- Queen Mary Street – 1.9 (2,950th place)
- Dunlop – 1.7 (2,962nd place)
- Riverview Alternative – 1.5 (2,971st place)
- Hawthorne – 0.0 (3,015th place)
Hawthorne Public School, in the southeast neighbourhood of Hawthorne Meadows, came in last place, along with six other schools outside of the nation’s capital.
The Fraser Institute is reminding parents that scores are intended to show comparisons, with every school having the ability to improve, each year.
“Comparisons are at the heart of improvement. By studying the techniques used in schools where students are successful, less effective schools may find ways to improve,” wrote the Fraser Institute.