The popular Fraser Institute Report Card on our schools is useless when it comes to improving performance. This from the Upper Canada District School Board Director, Stephen Sliwa.
In response to the 2016 Report on Secondary Schools, Sliwa says “The most valuable information that supports student learning is derived from the regular and ongoing assessments conducted by teachers and principals, as well as that furnished directly by the EQAO and other district-wide assessments. The ranking of schools, on a comparative basis, does not offer a precise understanding of exactly where improvement efforts should be directed and, as such, is regarded by our staff as having limited use.”
“It is more accountable and useful to use data that measures achievement on a student-by-student basis. Our school board and schools have adopted a vigorous improvement planning process based on provincial assessment results, and through surveys administered at the district and school level. These practices allow the board and our schools to direct attention and resources to student learning needs.”
“Any process that ranks schools, such as the Fraser Institute’s report, projects an unrealistic impression about student achievement and the needs of schools, and certainly falls short of acknowledging gains in student learning that result from the intentional efforts of our schools and district.”