Fraser Institute report sees Kingston elementary schools get mixed results

Some like R Gordon Sinclair ranked high while others like Rideau Heights were near the bottom.

A report out from a conservative think tank reveals how well, or how poorly, elementary schools in Kingston are doing.

The Fraser Institute released its annual report on the public, catholic, and private Kindergarden to Grade 8 schools in Ontario. Each school is evaluated based on EQAO test scores in the 2023/2024 school year.

There were a total of 3,052 schools that were ranked, 29 of them were in Kingston.

The report's author, Paige MacPherson, a Fraser Institute senior fellow says this shows parents what the school is doing for their children.

The highest ranking school in Kingston on the list was RG Sinclair Public School on Crerar Blvd which had a score of 8.2 out of 10, placing them 287. Rideau PS was 447 with a score of 7.8, Winston Churchill PS was 480 with a 7.7 score.

At the other end of the spectrum, Rideau Heights, John Graves Simcoe, and St. Francis of Assisi were at or near the bottom of the rankings. Rideau Heights scored a 0 while John Graves Simcoe had a 0.3 and St. Francis of Assisi 0.9.

MacPherson says the improvement in the ranking is often more important than the ranking itself.

One example is Tyendinaga Public School went from 1.6 in 2018 to 5.4 according to the report.

MacPherson says this report is not to criticize schools that are doing poorly rather to give parents an idea of which schools are doing a good job in educating students.

The Limestone District School Board issued a statement in response to the report.

"The board does not view the Fraser Institute’s school rankings as useful or conducive to improving student learning and achievement, as they rely on very narrow data without any context,” says Krishna Burra, Director of Education.

“Limestone continues to use EQAO data and other Provincial Student Achievement Plan data, along with a wide range of additional data based on the student census, school climate surveys, and day-to-day, week-to-week assessment, to guide learning, support students, and strengthen outcomes across all schools in the district. The most recent EQAO data show continuing progress for Limestone students based on most of the results being at, or above, the provincial average."

A full list of the school's ranking can be found here. 

Story by Ken Hashizume