Fraser Institute ranks Alberta High Schools academic performance

Central Alberta parents can now compare the academic performance of local schools by using the Fraser Institute's Report Card on Alberta’s High Schools 2023.

The report collects a variety of relevant and objective indicators of school performance that anyone can use to analyze and compare the performance of individual schools.

A total of 197 public, Catholic, independent, and charter secondary schools were ranked based on eight academic indicators generated from Grade 12 province-wide testing, grade-to-grade transition, and graduation rates.

“The report card offers parents information they can’t easily get anywhere else, about how schools perform over time and how they compare to other schools in Alberta,” said Peter Cowley, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.

Although the report can offer parents a snapshot of the academic performance of individual schools, parents are encouraged to seek more information by visiting the school and interviewing teachers and school administrators before deciding what school their children will attend.

The data collected indicates that every school can improve regardless of type, location, and student characteristics.

“We often hear that schools can’t improve student performance because of the communities and students they serve, but the findings in our school report card suggest otherwise,” Cowley said.

Here is how Central Alberta high schools scored out of 10:

Lacombe:

Lacombe Composite High School – 6.7

Father Lacombe Catholic School – 5.3

Ponoka:

Ponoka Secondary Campus – 6.1

Sylvan Lake:

H.J. Cody High School – 6.1

Red Deer:

Hunting Hills High School – 6.1

Notre Dame High School – 5.7

Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School – 5.5