The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies’ annual report card on regional high schools has had its share of critics since beginning in 2003. To AIMS’ credit, however, the think tank has stuck to its firm belief in the program, one that provides both educators and parents with a useful yardstick to measure how schools are doing and where they can improve — even those ranked near the top.
The report card, now in its ninth year, looks at a multitude of factors, including enrolment, student-teacher ratio, attendance, average teacher certification, socio-economic factors, provincial exam and school marks, as well as graduation rates and post-secondary success (based on graduates’ first-year marks in college or university).
The AIMS’ rankings promote accountability and public engagement with educational issues, and help identify strengths and weaknesses for all schools, regardless of where they place.
Our congratulations to Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School, which ranked at the top of the list of 54 Nova Scotia English high schools that were included this year. Eighteen other high schools in the province weren’t part of the report because of their small size or incomplete data.
