Spencer highest ranked New West elementary
After a year's absence from the top spot amongst New Westminster elementary schools in the Fraser Institute's rankings, Herbert Spencer is again No. 1.
In its report released Monday, Spencer had an overall rating of 7.3 out of 10 based on standardized Fundamental Skills Assessment testing done on Grade 4 and Grade 7 students throughout the province in 2011-12. That put Spencer at 193 out of 853 schools included in the report.
In the 2010-11 rankings released in February 2012, Spencer was rated at 6.8 which was 262nd in the province. That ended a four-year reign for the Queen's Park school as tops in New West because it fell behind Richard McBride, which had a rating of 7.5 in 2011 and a ranking of 170th in B.C. This year, the Sapperton school's rating was 6.9 and a provincial ranking of 252.
The report noted an upward trend in Grade 7 numeracy for Spencer students, although those kids would have moved on to Glenbrook middle school by the time they took those tests.
Lord Tweedsmuir's rankings growth was even stronger than Spencer's going from a rating of 5.1 to 6.2, and jumping its ranking from 577 the previous year to 363 this time around. The West End school experienced an upward trend in Grade 4 numeracy.
Conversely, Queen Elizabeth went from a rating of 6.1 to 4.7, putting it 647th in the province after being 577th in 2011. Lord Kelvin also dropped going from a 5.3 rating to 3.6 giving it a ranking of 773 compared to 538 the year before.
John Robson and F.W. Howay both experienced big decreases in last year's report but were not included this year. Robson had gone from a 6.7 rating and a 281 ranking in 2010 to 3.7 and 781 in 2011. Two years ago, Howay was right up there with Spencer in New West with a 6.9 rating and ranking of 237, but dropped to 5.1 and 577 in last year's rankings.
Like last year, Connaught Heights and Hume Park were also not included. In the introduction, the report said schools with fewer than 15 enrolled in Grade 4 or in Grade 7 were excluded.
Of the five in the report, Queen Elizabeth had by far the largest percentage of ESL students at 45.9, followed by Kelvin (21.9), Tweedsmuir (11.6), McBride (10.7) and Spencer (7.4).
Special needs students made up 9.6 per cent of the students at Kelvin with 8.1 at Spencer, 6.5 at Tweedsmuir, 3.6 at McBride and 3.3 at Queen Elizabeth.
Not only did Spencer have the highest rating, but also the highest parental annual income at $103,300 ahead of Tweedsmuir ($67,600), McBride ($66,500), Queen Elizabeth ($60,100) and Kelvin ($41,900).
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