Fort Frances, Rainy River, and Atikokan were not ranked among the 568 Ontario high schools included in a report released Wednesday by the Fraser Institute.
Warren Hoshizaki, director of education for the Rainy River District School Board, said Thursday morning he had no explanation for their omissions.
He noted the rankings were based on data from 1999–before he joined the board–and that the institute gets the numbers from the Ministry of Education, not directly from the boards themselves.
But he noted that as far as the board here is concerned, the institute’s “Ontario Report Card” doesn’t represent a realistic picture of secondary education.
“They’re actually ranking the high schools for kids that are going to university. [But] what about the kids that aren’t on that path, what about those who want to go to Confederation College?” he remarked.
“We have to look at the criteria they use.”
The results are based on the percentage of advanced courses taken by grade 11, 12, and OAC students, and the percentage of advanced courses passed by those students.
It also takes into account the average number of core courses (math, language arts, and sciences) taken per student, and the difference between male and female students in the average course mark they received at grade 12 advanced English and math.
It also notes parents’ average education.
“We’re glad we’re not ranked under those circumstances. We’re trying to improve learning the kids here, not improve how many kids take and pass advanced courses for a better ranking,” Hoshizaki said.
“I don’t think anyone would want that,” he stressed.
“The Fraser Institute is a marketing company–you have to take that into consideration,” Hoshizaki added.
Fort Frances High School was last ranked on numbers from 1998. That year, the school received a 5.2 out of 10 rating, seeing 47.9 percent of its advanced courses taken by students in grade 11, 12, and OAC.
Some 80.5 percent of the advanced courses taken were passed in those grades, and students took an average of three core courses (language arts, mathematics, and sciences) per year.
Female students at the those grade levels averaged a four percent higher mark in language arts than male students while boys averaged three percent better mark in math than girls.
Parents” average education was 13.5 years.
That same year, Rainy River High School scored an overall rating of 6.2, seeing 48.1 percent of advanced courses taken, with a 90.5 percent pass rate and an average of three core courses taken per student.
Male students scored an average of three percent higher than female students in language arts, and five percent better than them in math. The parents’ average education was 11.8 years.
Some 1999 data for Atikokan High School was noted, including 52.8 percent of advanced courses taken, 3.2 core courses taken per student, and 13.5 years for parents’ average education, but it was insufficient for a proper ranking.
There also was incomplete data in 1998.
Regional high schools that did rank among the 568 included Beaver Brae Secondary School in Kenora (290), Red Lake District High School (323), Ignace High School (401), Dryden High School (412), St. Thomas Aquinas in Kenora (464), and Queen Elizabeth District High School in Sioux Lookout (563).
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
