This is the Sault's best school (according to the Fraser Institute)

How does your child’s school compare to the rest of Sault Ste. Marie? Here’s one measuring stick.

The Fraser Institute has released its annual ranking of Ontario elementary schools — a top-to-bottom list of 2,975 schools across the province, including 23 in the Sault.

The ranking is based on nine academic indicators derived from province-wide test results, including Grade 3 and 6 reading, writing and math, as well as the percentage of EQAO assessments that didn’t meet Ontario standards. Each school is then given a cumulative score out of 10.

According to that criteria, the top school in the city is St. Francis French Immersion on Brookfield Avenue — which placed 402nd in the province, with a score of 7.9 out of 10.

Rounding out the Sault’s top three are St. Mary’s French Immersion (486th) and R.M. Moore (797th).

The lowest-ranked local school is H.M. Robbins on East Balfour Street, which scored a 1.6 and placed 2,928th on the list. Only 46 other schools in Ontario ranked lower.

The other schools in the city’s bottom three are Ben R. McMullin (2,885th) and Kiwedin (2,875th).

Which school placed first overall in Ontario? The International School of Cambridge, one of only 13 in the province to earn a perfect 10 score.

A conservative think tank, the Fraser Institute’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being.”

“Our Report Cards offer parents information they can’t easily get anywhere else, about how their child’s school performs and how it compares to other schools in Ontario,” said Peter Cowley, a Fraser Institute senior fellow, in a news release.

Over the years, school boards and other education stakeholders have noted that standardized tests, though important, are not the only gauge of a school’s quality. There are many other intangible factors that come into play, including staff experience, extra-curriculars and the level of individualized support available for students.

The link to the report card is HERE. The full list of Sault schools, in order of provincial ranking, is below. (Note: The Fraser Institute report does not include Boréal French Immersion, F.H. Clergue French Immersion or École publique Écho-des-Rapides). 

402 — St. Francis French Immersion Catholic School (7.9)
486 — St. Mary's French Immersion Catholic School (7.7)
797 — R. M. Moore Public School (7.1)
870 — St. Paul Catholic School (7)
943 — Anna McCrea Public School (6.9)
1,368 — Tarentorus Public School (6.3)
1,623 — Grand View Public School (5.9)
1,623 — Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (5.9)
1,687 — Holy Cross Catholic School (5.8)
1,687 — Isabel Fletcher Public School (5.8)
2,092 — Pinewood Public School (5.1)
2,361 — Queen Elizabeth Public School (4.5)
2,397 — St. Basil Catholic School (4.4)
2,439 — École élémentaire Notre-Dame-du-Sault (4.3)
2,585 — Holy Family Catholic School (3.8)
2,585 — River View Public School (3.8)
2,734 — Northern Heights Public School (3.2)
2,808 — Greenwood Public School (2.8)
2,823 — Parkland Public School (2.7)
2,846 — East View Public School (2.5)
2,875 — Kiwedin Public School (2.3)
2,885 — Ben R. McMullin (2.2)
2,928 — H. M. Robbins Public School (1.6)