Some Calgary schools get top grades in Fraser Institute rankings

The Fraser Institute has ranked the top 197 grade schools in all of Alberta, and a few Calgary schools are earning top marks.

The report ranks schools based on criteria such as average diploma exam results, the diploma completion rate, and the difference between male and female students in the average English and math marks.

When it comes to secondary schools, Calgary French & International and Webber Academy were the only locals ones to receive perfect 10s, while FFCA Charter School and Rundle College nabbed nine-out-of-10 rankings.

Some of the highest ranked public secondary schools in Calgary include Springbank, Western, Sir Winston Churchill, Ernest Manning, Henry Wisewood, and Dr. E.P. Scarlett, all of which have average exam marks in the high 60s to low 70s, and diploma completion percentages in the 90s.

One of the lowest ranked secondary schools in Calgary is Edge, which provides students opportunities to excel in athletics, and has an average exam mark of 57 per cent. However, the school still managed a diploma completion rate of 85.5 per cent.

Other low-ranked secondary schools in the city include James Fowler, Forest Lawn, and Bishop Grandin, which had average exam marks in the low 60s.

One elementary school in Calgary did extremely well in the rankings — Sunalta School nabbed a perfect 10 out of 10 school, while Louis Riel and Dr. Roberta Bondar received honourable mentions with nine and 8.6 ratings, respectively.

The institute is cautioning parents to not choose a high school for their children based on academics alone, as the rankings don’t consider factors such as program opportunities.