School district dismisses think-tank “report card” gŏđŏ editionap.ca
Carswell stated in a press release. “The most valuable information we consider is derived from the regular and ongoing assessments conducted by teachers and principals, as well as that furnished by the (education ministry) EQAQ and other district assess- ments. The ranking of schools on a com- parative basis, such as the Fraser Report el- ementary school rankings, does not offer a precise understanding of exactly where im- provement efforts should be directed and, as such, is regarded by our staff as having limited use.” The B.C.-based Fraser Institute has been issuing its annual report cards for several years now on elementary and secondary schools in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Qué- bec in Canada and in Washington state in the U.S.A. Its rankings are based on pro-
vincial exam results and other report data from the various education ministries and departments. The agency’s report cards rank schools on their performance in various areas based on the data received. Carswell criticized the Fraser Institute’s report card setup as too simplistic and failing to focus on the stu- dents themselves in all areas besides aca- demic.
“We don’t teach schools, we teach stu- dents,” he stated. “It is more accountable and useful to use data that measures achievement on a student by student basis. The data we receive from EQAQ is far richer and more valuable in informing our efforts than the simple rank ordering of schools provided by the Fraser Report.” He questioned whether the Fraser Insti- tute’s annual report card has any value to parents of students. “I also think we need to assess the value of the Fraser Report to public education after more than a decade of reports,” Car- swell stated. “This may be a big event for the Fraser Institute, but it is not something that helps us or our parents to assess how well their child is doing in school or to de- termine ways to improve their learning.”
GREGGCHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
BROCKVILLE | The Fraser Institute has is- sued its annual “report card” on elemen- tary schools all across Canada but the card is getting a failing grade on its own merits from the Upper Canada district. Ian Carswell, associate director for the Up- per Canada District School Board (UCDSB), dismissed the conservative think-tank’s an- nual report card on schools as of “limited use” in show how well any school or school district does in educating students. “The board remains open to any data or study that provides information leading to improvements in teaching and learning,”
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