miketoronto
Feb 16, 2007, 3:14 AM
This article is from the Scarborough Mirror which is a community newspaper for the eastern part of Toronto. Anyway this is one of the most important keys to a vibrant city, making sure you have good schools. I am glad Toronto scored so well.
Here is the article from
http://www.insidetoronto.ca/to/scarborough/story/3878864p-4486837c.html?loc=scarborough
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Scarborough schools among tops in country
Fraser Institute gives top marks to a number of local schools
LISA QUEEN
Feb. 13, 2007
Scarborough's Sathya Sai School has a unique recipe for outstanding achievement. Start with dedication to academic excellence balanced with character education so students of the private, non-denominational school learn the valuable of civic responsibility.
Finally, throw in light meditation in the morning and yoga exercises in the afternoon to keep the pupils calm and focused.
The blend has resulted in a winning combination for the school on Ellesmere Road east of Warden Avenue.
The English-language, co-educational school of 160 students is one of 37 elementary schools to receive the top grade in an annual report card released this week by the Fraser Institute.
"I'm very happy, you made my day," principal Revathi Chennabathni said when she heard the news. "It (the school) is not just about getting good grades. It's about being a good citizen, love for God, love for humanity, love for the environment. They (students) want to be doctors, they want to be community leaders. They do a lot of community projects."
The Fraser Institute, a right-wing think tank, awarded the top Ontario schools perfect 10 scores based on EQAO reading, writing and math tests administered to Grade 3 and 6 students. In addition to annual rankings, the institute provides a five-year average rating. Some schools, including seven-year-old Sathya Sai, did not receive the five-year rating because sufficient historical data was not available.
This year's report card ranked 2,812 schools from the Top 37 to 2,804 due to several tied scores.
Peter Cowley, the institute's director of school performance students, called the report card a valuable public tool to analyze and compare schools annually and over time. "By demonstrating what can be accomplished, such comparisons can make a useful contribution to each school's ongoing improvement efforts," said Cowley, also co-author of the report.
Ward 19 Trustee Scott Harrison (Scarborough Centre) hasn't had a chance to review the results extensively, but said the report card is a good indicator of schools' performance. It is one measurement used to determine what is working and what isn't in individual schools, he said.
The report card indicates Toronto public schools are improving compared to the provincial average, Harrison said.
"I think we're going the right way," he said. "I haven't seen any (red flags), not that there aren't any but none has been brought to my attention."
Of the 37 top-rated schools, 24 are in Toronto, including Milliken Public School and St. Sylvester Catholic School in Scarborough.
Scores don't get any better than Scarborough's Kennedy Public School.
It is one of only five schools in Ontario that tied for first place by scoring a perfect 10 this year and an even more impressive perfect 10 for the last five years.
The other Top 5 include two North York schools, Denlow Public School and Seneca Hill Public School, as well as Roy H. Crosby Public School in Markham and St. Justin Martyr Catholic School in Unionville.
Kennedy's vice-principal, Sharon Azim, said she is thrilled with the school's results, but acknowledged neither she nor principal Brian Hern can take credit for the success because they both came on board only last September.
"We'd like to know ourselves what we're doing that's so great," she laughed yesterday before adding, "Our teachers have high standards, we have great staff, our students are very dedicated."
No Toronto schools ranked in the report card's bottom 25.
Nur-Ul-Huda, a North York school, was the lowest of Toronto's schools, coming in 26th above last place with a ranking of 2,785.
Rounding out the bottom five Toronto schools are Scarborough's Heron Park Public School and York's Santa Maria Catholic School (tied with a ranking of 2,755), Scarborough's Alexander Stirling Public School (ranked at 2,750) and Scarborough's Cliffside Public School (ranked at 2,745).
Often schools that do not perform well in rankings serve populations dealing with issues such as many students whose first language is not English, poverty and a transient student body. The board has strategies such as literacy and classroom intervention programs to help address needs of struggling schools, Harrison said.
Visit www.fraserinstitute.ca for the full report card.
Here is the article from
http://www.insidetoronto.ca/to/scarborough/story/3878864p-4486837c.html?loc=scarborough
---
Scarborough schools among tops in country
Fraser Institute gives top marks to a number of local schools
LISA QUEEN
Feb. 13, 2007
Scarborough's Sathya Sai School has a unique recipe for outstanding achievement. Start with dedication to academic excellence balanced with character education so students of the private, non-denominational school learn the valuable of civic responsibility.
Finally, throw in light meditation in the morning and yoga exercises in the afternoon to keep the pupils calm and focused.
The blend has resulted in a winning combination for the school on Ellesmere Road east of Warden Avenue.
The English-language, co-educational school of 160 students is one of 37 elementary schools to receive the top grade in an annual report card released this week by the Fraser Institute.
"I'm very happy, you made my day," principal Revathi Chennabathni said when she heard the news. "It (the school) is not just about getting good grades. It's about being a good citizen, love for God, love for humanity, love for the environment. They (students) want to be doctors, they want to be community leaders. They do a lot of community projects."
The Fraser Institute, a right-wing think tank, awarded the top Ontario schools perfect 10 scores based on EQAO reading, writing and math tests administered to Grade 3 and 6 students. In addition to annual rankings, the institute provides a five-year average rating. Some schools, including seven-year-old Sathya Sai, did not receive the five-year rating because sufficient historical data was not available.
This year's report card ranked 2,812 schools from the Top 37 to 2,804 due to several tied scores.
Peter Cowley, the institute's director of school performance students, called the report card a valuable public tool to analyze and compare schools annually and over time. "By demonstrating what can be accomplished, such comparisons can make a useful contribution to each school's ongoing improvement efforts," said Cowley, also co-author of the report.
Ward 19 Trustee Scott Harrison (Scarborough Centre) hasn't had a chance to review the results extensively, but said the report card is a good indicator of schools' performance. It is one measurement used to determine what is working and what isn't in individual schools, he said.
The report card indicates Toronto public schools are improving compared to the provincial average, Harrison said.
"I think we're going the right way," he said. "I haven't seen any (red flags), not that there aren't any but none has been brought to my attention."
Of the 37 top-rated schools, 24 are in Toronto, including Milliken Public School and St. Sylvester Catholic School in Scarborough.
Scores don't get any better than Scarborough's Kennedy Public School.
It is one of only five schools in Ontario that tied for first place by scoring a perfect 10 this year and an even more impressive perfect 10 for the last five years.
The other Top 5 include two North York schools, Denlow Public School and Seneca Hill Public School, as well as Roy H. Crosby Public School in Markham and St. Justin Martyr Catholic School in Unionville.
Kennedy's vice-principal, Sharon Azim, said she is thrilled with the school's results, but acknowledged neither she nor principal Brian Hern can take credit for the success because they both came on board only last September.
"We'd like to know ourselves what we're doing that's so great," she laughed yesterday before adding, "Our teachers have high standards, we have great staff, our students are very dedicated."
No Toronto schools ranked in the report card's bottom 25.
Nur-Ul-Huda, a North York school, was the lowest of Toronto's schools, coming in 26th above last place with a ranking of 2,785.
Rounding out the bottom five Toronto schools are Scarborough's Heron Park Public School and York's Santa Maria Catholic School (tied with a ranking of 2,755), Scarborough's Alexander Stirling Public School (ranked at 2,750) and Scarborough's Cliffside Public School (ranked at 2,745).
Often schools that do not perform well in rankings serve populations dealing with issues such as many students whose first language is not English, poverty and a transient student body. The board has strategies such as literacy and classroom intervention programs to help address needs of struggling schools, Harrison said.
Visit www.fraserinstitute.ca for the full report card.