Peel Region schools showcased a mixed performance in the Fraser Institute’s latest high school rankings, with institutions in Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga both excelling and struggling in the annual report released on January 7.
On the high end, Mississauga’s John Fraser Secondary School achieved a score of 9.0 out of 10, placing it in 20th position among 746 high schools across Ontario. Meanwhile, Al-Manarat Heights Islamic School, a private institution in Mississauga, secured a perfect score of 10, tying for first place with four other schools in the province.
However, at the other end of the spectrum, Judith Nyman Secondary School in Brampton and West Credit Secondary School in Mississauga tied for last place with scores of 0.0. Both schools specialize in hands-on skilled trades courses, a focus not captured in the Fraser Institute’s academic rankings.
Despite the varied individual results, Peel Region schools collectively performed above the provincial average. According to Fraser Institute senior fellow Peter Cowley, Peel schools scored an average of 6.4 out of 10, compared to the Ontario-wide average of 6.0.
“It’s actually quite a good result… a substantial situation,” Cowley said. Still, he emphasized that every school, regardless of its ranking, should continuously seek improvement.
The Fraser Institute’s annual report card ranks schools based on academic indicators derived from the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) tests, including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) and the Grade 9 math assessment.
Critics argue the Fraser Institute’s rankings oversimplify school performance by focusing solely on academic metrics. Harjit Aujla, the Peel District School Board’s associate director of school improvement and equity, stressed that these rankings fail to account for the multifaceted nature of schools.
“While the EQAO assessment provides valuable data on student achievement, it represents only one data set and should not be used as the sole indicator of a school’s overall performance,” Aujla said in an email.
Aujla highlighted the broader contributions of schools, including their roles in fostering creativity, social-emotional development, and inclusivity. He argued that reducing a school’s performance to a single academic data point diminishes its contributions to student growth and community well-being.
“Schools are dynamic environments where success should be measured through a holistic lens, valuing multiple indicators of student development and well-being alongside academic data,” he said.
The Fraser Institute’s rankings do not factor in contextual elements such as extracurricular programs, community engagement, and individualized support for students with diverse needs. Both Judith Nyman and West Credit have shown improvement in recent EQAO results, but these gains were not reflected in this year’s rankings due to timing.
For instance, in the 2023-24 school year, 47% of first-time eligible students at Judith Nyman passed the OSSLT, a significant improvement from 22% the previous year. Similarly, West Credit saw its OSSLT success rate increase from 21% to 50%.
“These elements are not captured in the EQAO assessment, which focuses on academic achievement in specific subject areas at a fixed point in time,” Aujla said.
Cowley defended the rankings as a tool to foster accountability and improvement. “What we’re trying to do here is to improve results… ensuring that students at each school are doing the best they can,” he said.
Still, Aujla and other critics urge a more comprehensive evaluation of schools, one that considers both academic outcomes and the broader developmental needs of students.
As Peel schools celebrate their successes and address areas of growth, the debate over the value and limitations of standardized rankings continues to shape the conversation around education quality and equity.