City schools do well when rating counts social
factors
Hamilton Spectator
Fri 02 Mar 2007

Page: A11
Section: Local
Byline: Natalie Pona
Source: The
Hamilton Spectator

Hamilton elementary schools do better on standard
provincial test scores when appropriate weighting is given to social and
economic factors.

Including such factors, a new report card by the C.D. Howe Institute rated
more city schools as being above average compared to other Ontario schools.

David Johnson, economics professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, crunched
the numbers using results from the past three years of provincial standardized
tests, but with a twist.

Educators often complain it is unfair to rank schools based on performance
measures, he said, because the provincial measures don't factor in single-
parent families and the unemployment rate. So Johnson added them to the
equation.

He created a formula that counted the test results for just 60 per cent of
his new total score. The other 40 per cent went to neighbourhood social and
economic factors, evening out the odds against schools in poorer areas, he said.

By removing the impact of socio-economic factors, comparisons of the quality
of different schools is more fair.

"We have been able to compare apples to apples," said Johnson, who co-
authored the study for the Toronto-based policy group. "This creates a level of
accountability."

Most of Johnson's results turned out in favour of Hamilton schools.

Among Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board schools, for example, 39 Grade
3 classes from 81 reporting schools ranked above average from 2003 to 2006.
Using the provincial tests scores alone, just 29 schools rated higher than
average.

Judith Bishop, HWDSB chair, said she's taking the study's numbers seriously.

"I think this stuff is immensely valuable," she said. "We need to be
continually assessing where we are."

Low-scoring schools should get more attention, she said, while schools with
high scores should be "celebrated."

Taking factors such as household income and parents' education out of the
picture, "we're left with the influence of teachers and the school itself," said
Yvan Guillemette, a policy analyst with the institute.

But not everyone sees value in another study ranking schools.

"Ranking, of any kind, we don't believe in, because we, as teachers, don't
believe it's in the best interest of the students," said Emily Noble, Elementary
Teachers' Federation of Ontario president.

"What we teach is the whole child. There are so many variables ... That's
what we really need to look at. Just one score isn't enough."

Pat Daly, chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board,
said he'll read the study but doesn't expect to be moved to action by the
results, echoing Noble's sentiments on school ranking.

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905-526-3323

For complete results see: www.cdhowe.org

© 2007 Torstar Corporation

Edition: Final
Story Type: News
Length: 424
words