Cal ranks well in repor Other schools in the district scored lower By ALEX HAMILTON A REPORT CARD ranking all the senior secondary schools in B.C. gives Caledonia an overall average rating of 7 out of 10 for 1998. The report, created by .the Fraser Institute, a re- search organization, ranks Caledonia as one of the top five schools in the “province north of Wil- liams Lake, ‘Coast’ Mountain School District’s other: senior high schools, however, got un- satisfactory ratings because they had a high percentages of failed provincial exams. _. Hazelton Secondary received an overall raling of 2.8 -of 10, Stewart Secondary cot a mark of 3 of 10, and Mount Elizabeth Secondary received a rating of 4.8 of 10. The report card's co- author, Peter Cowley, said he helped rate province's 262 public and private secondary schools _—to determine whether: or not schools were doing their job of educating students prop- erly. - The report also aims to provide information for parents selecting schools for their children, To came up with the ratings, Cowley measured five indicators at cach school: 1) the average provincial exam mark; 2) the percentage of provincial exams: failed; 3) the dif- ference between the average exam mark and the average ‘school ‘mark; 4) the gradu- ation rate;, and 5) the num- ber of provincial exam courses laken per student, From ~ these statistics, Caledonia Senior secondary ranks 109 of 262 schools... Caledonia’s 307 Grade 12, . students in 1998 received an” average mark 68.3 per cent a on CALEDONIA Senio r Secondary School principal Geoff Straker says he's pleased with the school’s im- t car fe ARREARS The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 28, 1999 - All Things a little uneven around the house? Let face it — we all hawe good intentions to fix those Title things’ around the house. But, you have other things to do, youte busy and besices, you dont knew where to go for help. Let Larry help! Lany is experienced! in everything from carpentry to painting, and those litile things are his specialty Call Larry in Terrace for all your fix-it needs, provement over the years in the annual ratings 635-4424 released by the Fraser Institute, on provincial exams. The failure rate of provincial ex- aris was 9.7 per cent and the graduation rate was 92,2 per cent. The report card also states Caledonia stu- dents took an average of two provincial exam courses, which is low com- pared to mast schools where students took more than three provincial exams. From 1994, Caledonia’s rating has gone up from 3.4 of 10 to 7 of 10. Caledonia Principal Geoff Staker said he’s happy with the report. That’s because, based on the criteria the Fraser In- stitute uses, his school has continually shown positive growth. “Over the past six years the failure rate has dropped, the graduation rate has in- creased, our rating has al- most doubled and the aver- age provincial exam mark has increased,”’ he said. Straker added that 1998 was an exceptional year for foro de academic students, “Out of 210 students, 21 of them won provincial scholarships last year. “That’s the highest in the history of the school,’ Suaker said, The reason Caledonia bas seen positive growth in the report cards over the years is because students educa- tion levels are improving. “Its a reflection of the feeder schools that feed stu- dents to us,’? Straker said. Students coming to Caledonia are also respond- ing well to what they are leaming in the classrooms. “Maybe it’s the job we're doing, too,”? Straker added. “People here work very hard,”’ The report card held bad news for Hazelton Secondary which tied for - the eighth worst school on the list, ranking 255 of B.C.’s 262 high schools. Stewart Secondary ranked 250 and tied for the eleventh worst school in B.C., and Mount Elizabeth in Kitimat was ranked 208 of 262 ‘schools. :.--.. - “Prince Rupert’s Charles Hays Secondary ranked Total Tickets: 3200 Is Back! Time Again for th a Available at: *Mohawk Mastercard a *East End Chevron Visa "Chinook Sales Cheque Cash- . GRAND PRIZE: 1998 Citation Supreme, 24’ Matorhome Value: $83,000 | Draw Date: August 2, 1999 we Early Bird Prize: _... May 1:...$750 groceries from Safeway For Tickets Call: (250)638-798 1 No Prize Substitutions Winner's Consent to Name Release - 635-HEAR LIVING IN THE COMFORT ZONE Could you wear your hearing aids in this? . Today's high fidelity hearing aid technology provides clean, sound, even in higher sound levels, as they automatically adjust the volume level, keeping you in the COMFORT ZONE. _ Visits to Smithers, Hazelton, Kitimat, & Nass TERRACE HEARING CLINIC The Hearing Professionals 1-800-811-1533 Fiegistered under the Hearing Ald Act 8.C. 125th out of 262 schools. and Smithers Secondary ranked 85 with an overall ranking of 7.4 out of 10. The Secondary Schools Report Card for British Columbia 1999 has been controversial since il was created in 1993 since many B.C. educators say scores on provincial standardized tests don’t tell much about the quality of schocls. The report card also fails to distinguish between pri- vale schools that select their students aud public schools that serve all children, regardless of special ticeds. It also doesn’t take into account that some schools also have a higher propor- tion of ESL students, who would have trouble succeed- ing on a standardized tests. Two schools, Prince of Wales Secondary in Van- couver, which is a public schocland St, Thomas Aquinas in North Van- couver, a private school, achieved a perfect score of 10 -:on ‘this~ year’s-- overall ranking. FACTORY DIRECT Spring Clearance Sale on Now! UP TO 5 0% OFF ALL NO.2 PRODUCTS ea SPECIALS | 8” x 16” patio slab 99 ea. 12” round patio slab 2.99 ea. 16" x 16” patio slab 2.99 ea. 24” x 24” patio slab 6.95 ea. Portland cement 8.99 bag Need to fix up the yard? Check out our huge selection of landscaping materials. We provide more than concrete and concrete pumping. We have construction supplies, masonry supplies, landscaping materials, blocks, bricks, patio slabs and much more, SKEENA CONCRETE PRODUCTS LTD. : “9751 Old Lakelse Loke Dr, Terrace, B.C., V8G 5P4 Ph, (250}638-8477 Fax (250)635-4171 From Terrace & Kitimat to The Hazeltons, Nass Valley and points north OUR TWO PUBLICATIONS WILL GET YOUR yf ‘ t} * a! s yr ay That’s The Circulation Of The EE STANDARD & COVETENG TB NEWS OF THE NORTHWEST ADVERTISER Reaching Thousands of Customers and Clients EVERY WEEK MESSAGE THERE Place your ad in the Terrace Standard and at a substantially reduced rate swing it into our Shopper the Weekend Advertiser... VERY SIMPLE. CALL ANY ONE OF OUR SALES REPRESENTATIVES Brian Lindenbach — Sam Bedford — Bunnie Cote 638-7283