Exam scores, graduations and gender gaps: Quebec's high schools, ranked
A ranking of Quebec high schools was published on Friday, scoring their performance on a variety of academic indicators.
It's one of several tools parents can use to determine the right fit for their kids, according to the libertarian-conservative Canadian public policy think tank Fraser Institute, which published the study.
"We conduct a series of indicators. One is the average result in those subjects [languages of instruction, second languages, science and math], whether students fail or succeed in their exams, whether the school tends to inflate grades at the local level," researcher Yanick Labrie told CTV News in an interview Saturday.
"We also look at the gender gap, whether there are differences between the results of female students and male students. And finally, we look at whether students get their diploma in time."
Researchers then combine these elements to rank each school on a scale of zero to 10.
Here's an overview of the top secondary schools in Quebec, according to the this latest "Report Card":
Top 10 private schools (2021/2022)
- Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf (Montreal): 10.0
- Collège Jean-Eudes (Montreal): 10.0
- Collège Pasteur (Montreal): 10.0
- Collège Charlemagne (Montreal): 10.0
- École Saint-Nom-de-Marie (Montreal): 10.0
- Collège Beaubois (Montreal): 10.0
- Collège Saint-Alexandre (Gatineau): 10.0
- Collège Laval (Laval): 10.0
- Collège St-Sacrement (Terrebonne): 9.8
- Collège Sainte-Anne (Lachine): 9.7
Top 10 public schools (2021/2022)
- Collège Saint-Louis (Montreal): 10.0
- École internationale de Montréal (Westmount): 10.0
- École d'éducation internationale (Laval): 9.4
- École internationale Lucille-Teasdale (Brossard): 9.4
- Royal West Academy (Montreal West): 9.2
- Académie de Roberval (Montreal): 8.7
- Vincent Massey (Montreal): 8.5
- École Cardinal-Roy (Quebec City): 8.5
- École Robert-Gravel (Montreal): 8.3
- École l'Envolée (Granby): 8.3
All English schools (2021/2022)
NOT THE BE-ALL-END-ALL
Perhaps unsurprisingly, private schools came out on top in the Report Card.
But does that mean the education they're providing is inherently better?
Not necessarily.
Mike Cohen, head of communications at the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), says parents should take school rankings like this one with a grain of salt. Private schools, as well as some public schools, often have competitive admission requirements, meaning the students who do get in are more likely to score high on their exams.
"Yes, they're accurate in the sense that Royal West Academy and Vincent Massey always end up at the top. But there's a reason for that. I mean, they select their students, they're elite schools, there's entrance exams," he said in an interview Saturday. "But it's not fair to all the other schools that have a lot of extenuating circumstances in terms of their numbers. I mean, they don't get to choose their students, they have a lot of special needs students, coded students."
In many ways, researcher Yanick Labrie agrees: "Some schools tend to select their students based on their previous academic performance. And because of that, they're on top of the ranking quite often. But that doesn't mean they don't, at the local level, have incentives to maintain that ranking."
He said that while studies like this can be helpful to parents, they shouldn't be their only guide.
"It's not the only tool available for parents when it comes time to choose a school for their children. They have to visit schools, they have to ask questions to the schools, admission administrators, to other parents."
He said one useful way to use the rankings is by looking at which schools have shown improvement over time.
For example, school's like John Rennie High School in Pointe-Claire are trending upward, from a score of 6.8 in 2016 to 7.3 in 2022.
"Forty-five schools have shown significant improvement over time. And they were not necessarily selecting their students," Labrie explained.
"Even if you allow everyone to come in, you can show that improvements are possible."
THE GENDER GAP
Labrie said some of the study's most interesting findings are related to the gender gap in high schools.
In 96.8 per cent of schools included in the report, female students performed better than their male classmates in their language of instruction exams.
In a similar vein, at 64.4 per cent of the schools, female students outscored their male classmates in their math exams.
"It's beyond the Report Card to provide the factors behind this, but I think it's so important to work to reveal the statistics, but also to try to find solutions to that gap," he said.
COVID-19
Yanick said he was pleasantly surprised to find that COVID-19 did not leave a lingering stain on the academic performance of Quebec high schools.
"We thought it would be the case, obviously, because of the pandemic and all the problems associated with it. But there's no significant downward trend in any subject over the last five years," he said.
"We were pleased to find out that, somehow, schools managed to provide students with what they need to succeed."
EMSB's Mike Cohen, meanwhile, reports that things have largely returned to normal post-pandemic.
"It's been moving its way back to normal for the last couple of years, and I don't think that students are looking at that anymore. We learned a lot from COVID, for instance, when students are absent for a period of time, there's all kinds of ways to keep learning if they're home sick, which didn't exist before."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From collapsing ecosystems to artificial intelligence running wild, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the coming years.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.