Alberta Secondary Schools Report Card, 2000: Detailed School Results

[Previous] [Contents] [Next]

Click here for the Detailed Tables

Getting the most out of the tables

The tables provide a great deal of information, all of which is worth attention. As a general rule, we recommend that all the statistics presented be considered. No one number--indicator data, the overall rating, or provincial ranking--can provide as much information as the whole set. Parents choosing a school will have to decide which, if any, of these measures of academic achievement is important to them. Then, the data may form the basis of questions that parents can ask of teachers and administrators at the school. Similarly, while planning improvements, the school community may consider each number in the same way: Is it important to us? Do we want to improve this aspect of our school's performance? If so, how can improvement be accomplished?

See the example at the bottom of this page. The items in the upper left-hand corner of the table provide information about the school and its students. Bert Church High School in Airdrie is a public school with a Grade 12 enrollment of 187 students. We include the enrollment to remind readers to exercise caution when considering the data for schools with relatively small enrollments. One would expect greater variation in the results of schools with smaller enrollments.

The Parents' average education (yrs.) provides an indication of the socio-economic background of the student body. It can be used to identify other schools whose students have similar socio-economic backgrounds. A comparison of the results of these similar schools can identify those schools that are particularly effective in taking socio-economic conditions into account in their teaching and counselling.

Academic performance

Below the Parents' average education (yrs.) are the indicators of Academic Performance. Note that all the results--with the exception of the Courses taken per student and the Overall rating out of ten--are expressed in percentage points. Where no results were produced or where small numbers of results were suppressed for privacy reasons, "n/a" appears in the tables.

First, look at the statistics for the school year 1998/1999 (labelled "1999"). Referring to the decile range tables in Appendix 1, notice where the average examination mark falls compared to the base year values. The Average exam mark statistic (65.7 percent) puts Bert Church High School in the top 30 percent of base-year school results. It also falls in the top 30 percent on the indicator, Percentage of examinations failed. These two indicators suggest that, on average, teachers at the school have been relatively effective in teaching the material contained in the diploma courses. The school falls in the top 20-percent range on the indicator, School vs exam mark difference. This shows that at Bert Church High School, the school-based assessments are reasonably accurate predictors of the subsequent diploma examination marks received. Bert Church's value on the indicator, Courses taken per student (3.4 courses in 1998/1999) falls in the bottom 40-percent range indicating that students at the school may not be taking advantage of these core courses to the extent that others around the province are. Finally, Bert Church High School's Diploma completion rate (69.8 percent in 1998/1999) falls just around the middle of the base-year results.

Now compare the 1998/1999 results on each of these indicators to the school's results in earlier years.

Overall rating out of ten

The Overall rating out of ten (Bert Church scored 7.0 in 1998/99) takes into account the school's performance on all five of the indicators discussed above. The school's provincial academic ranking of eightieth out of 222 (shown in the top right hand corner of the table) is based on this Overall rating. The school ranked even higher (sixty-first out of 203) on its five-year average overall rating. Bert Church's strong long-term ranking shows that the school has been consistently effective over the years.

1998/1999 Course Results

Below the Overall rating are the 1998/1999 Course Results. These include the average examination mark (Avg. exam mark) and the participation rate for English 30, Social Studies 30, Mathematics 30 and Mathematics 33, the four diploma courses (see Note 1 on page 17) most frequently taken by students at Bert Church High School. Both numbers should be taken into account. The average examination mark is a reflection of the effectiveness of the teaching effort at the school. The participation rate shows the extent to which the students have been encouraged to participate in these important academic courses. Ideally, the statistics would show both a high average mark and a high participation rate. Compare the results from Bert Church High School in different courses. For example, in Mathematics 30 the school's average examination mark was 6.1 percentage points higher than the provincial average (see table 1 on page 17) while the participation rate was about the same as that of the province overall. In English 30, however, the average examination mark was nearly three percentage points lower than the provincial average while the participation rate was some five percentage points higher than the province overall. Also compare both statistics for each course with corresponding results from other schools.

Gender Gap

At the bottom of the table are the Gender Gap calculations for English 30 and Mathematics 30 for all four years. At Bert Church High School, the difference in English 30 consistently favours female students and is quite large. While this is not an unusual result, there is no evidence to suggest that male students' results cannot be improved. The gap in Mathematics is more erratic but still favours female students. As a result, Bert Church ranks in the middle of the pack on the Gender Gap ranking over the longer term and somewhat below the median ranking for 1998/1999. The Gender Gap rankings (derived from the sum of the two absolute values) are found at the top right-hand corner of the table.

Overall, the school community at Bert Church High School should be pleased about these results but not complacent. There is room for improvement along all of the measured dimensions of school performance. To see what is possible, compare the results at Bert Church High School with those at other schools in the vicinity and around the province. You can also compare the school's results to those of the province as a whole by referring to provincial averages provided in the Important Notes to the Detailed Tables below.

Important Notes to the Detailed Tables

Note 1

Diploma courses are those grade 12 courses, successful completion of which requires the student to write a uniform provincial final examination. At present, there are 11 such courses: Biology 30, Chemistry 30, English 30, English 33, Français 30 (for francophone students only), Mathematics 30, Mathematics 33, Physics 30, Science 30, Social Studies 30, and Social Studies 33. The term "diploma examination" refers to the uniform provincial examination in a diploma course.

Note 2

Not all the province's high schools are included in the tables or the ranking. Excluded are schools at which fewer than 25 students were enrolled in grade 12. These schools do not generate a sufficiently large set of student data to allow a fair and reasonable analysis and presentation of the results. Also excluded from the ratings and rankings are adult education centres; continuing education facilities; schools that cater largely to non-resident foreign students; and certain alternative schools.

The exclusion of a school from the Second Annual Report Card on Alberta's High Schools should in no way be construed as a judgement of the school's effectiveness.

Note 3

Where there was insufficient data available with which to calculate an indicator or where a school was not in operation during a specific year, "n/a" appears in the tables.

Note 4

You can compare a school's results with province-wide results in table 1 below.

[Previous] [Contents] [Next]

info@fraserinstitute.ca
4th Floor, 1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6J 3G7
Tel: (604) 688-0221 Fax: (604) 688-8539 Book Orders: 1-800-665-3558 ext. 580

You can contact us at the above email address for any comments or information requests. Please report any dead links or technical problems.