Williams, Renaissance most improved in Secondary School ranking

March 5, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

Aurora High School (AHS) is Aurora’s highest ranking school in the Fraser Institute’s ranking of the secondary schools across Ontario.
AHS ranked in a seven-way tie in 80th place, alongside schools ranging from Amherstberg to Toronto.

Next on the list was Ecole Secondaire Catholique Renaissance, which placed in the 122nd position, St. Maximillian Kolbe CHS in 133rd, Cardinal Carter C.H.S. and Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School both in 145th position.

Aside from a ranking within a race of nearly 800 secondary schools across the province, each school was also given an overall rating out of 10. This ranking, according to the Fraser Institute, is supposed to answer who schools are faring academically overall.

The ranking examines results of standardized tests in language and math, including the Grade 9 standardized math exams, examines any possible gender gaps in results, and the results examined closely and weighted.

Here, the rankings provide more detail.

Aurora High School scored a 7.9/10 overall this year, down from 8.1 in last year’s ranking. This accounts to a .01 hit in scores for Grade 9 math tests, a slight increase in tests that were below standard (12.5 per cent), but an overall improvement in the number of completed tests and an even gender split.

ESC Renaissance scored 7.6/10, up from 6.9/10 last year with improvements in language testing but a slight dip in math.

St. Max was given an overall score of 7.5/10, up from 7.0 in the last ranking. This can be attributed to higher performances in math testing, and a reduction in the number of tests found to be below standard.

Cardinal Carter was next with 7.4/10, down from 7.8 last year. Slight dips in math scoring but increases in language were factors, as well as slight bump in the number of tests not written.

Williams also placed with 7.4/10, a significant increase over the 5.6 last year with improvements in testing across the board.