St. Augustine School is among the 20 elementary schools in Alberta that have shown the fastest improvement in academic performance of the last five years, according the annual Fraser Institute report.
The 2013 report card ranked 659 public, private, separate, charter and francophone elementary schools on nine academic indicators using data from the annual Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs).
A news release with the complete list of schools was distributed Feb. 25 but St. Augustine’s principal, Curt Baron, wasn’t made aware of the school’s achievement until Feb. 28.
Although the report was news to him Baron feels, based on the staff and students as the school, the school’s standing isn’t a surprise.
“I’m new here, so kudos to last year’s principal and the staff, and kudos really goes to the kids.”
Baron says it’s rewarding to have the affirmation the report gives, however, he says the Fraser Institute only represents a small snap shot of the school and the activities going on inside the school are more important than being recognized.
“It’s not something I check. It doesn’t reflect everything,” said Baron.
According to their press release, the Fraser Institute feels their reports are a “go-to” resource to help parents and educators prioritize academic challenges within the school.
“Our report shows that all schools are capable of improvement, regardless of the personal or family challenges their students might face. If educators want to help students learn and improve, they should be talking to these schools,” said Peter Cowley, Fraser Institute director of school performance studies, in the press release.