Each year, the Fraser Institute releases a ‘report card’ ranking Alberta’s schools based mainly on the marks students receive on their provincial achievement tests.
Though the think tank claims it tests schools based on numerous performance indicators, the principal of J.A. Williams High School Terry Moghrabi says the results don’t tell the whole story.
“It’s concerning for me because it doesn’t take into account the great things that are happening,” said Moghrabi, whose school ranked near the bottom at 257th out of the 273 high schools in Alberta. “The report paints a one-sided view of the school. There are a lot of things going on that are worth acknowledging, like our community partnerships and social justice groups. We don’t want these great things clouded by the Fraser report.”
Moghrabi explains that a straight-A scholar will help any school top the achievement charts, but what about the student who is mentored by attentive teachers to rise above an adverse situation to graduate?
Moghrabi said the report doesn’t consider the success story of, say, a special needs student who, with the help of a great teacher, rises above the potential limitations of a rough home life or learning disability to pass a course or graduate.
“We focus on at-risk students, which the Fraser Institute report does not reflect. We still have academic goals,” he said. “But, to help at-risk kids complete their education is an achievement worth celebrating.”
Though the institute’s release is said to be one dimensional, Moghrabi said his school responds to the report with additional programs and “interventions.”
“Achievement is our priority,” he said. “We have to take info like this seriously. We’ve implemented academic interventions to help address kids who are not able to learn with the others and who are not prepared enough for class. We have lots of alternate programs”
Morris Holota is the principal of Ecole Plamondon, which placed 219th. He agreed with Moghrabi, saying that the report needs to be taken seriously, but does not offer the public an accurate perspective of a school’s value.
“Results based on one exam are a snapshot in time,” he said. “There are many factors that could contribute to a student not performing well. They could be sick from the stress of exam writing or they just broke up with their boyfriend or a whole host of other possible distractions.”
Holota added that students panicking or feeling ill from the pressures of being examinated is a real problem that can seriously affect the overall test scores of smaller school where each test written counts significantly towards the report’s tally.
“We do prepare the students for the exam and give them practice tests,” he said. “The test puts a lot of pressure on kids. I’ve seen some kids get physically sick. The report has to be taken with a grain of salt.”
Both principals emphasised that a school’s worth should not be based solely on high-percentage test scores but also on how it helps encourage challenged students to earn an education.
“A lot of times it’s not about the end result,” said Moghrabi.
“It’s about the journey to the end.”