Toronto Real Estate and Neighbourhoods Blog | Move Smartly

Best Toronto Elementary Schools - the Alternative List (Realosophy Top Ten)

Realosophy Team in Toronto Schools, Toronto Neighbourhoods, Top Ten Neighbourhoods, Home Buying

The first Sat of every month, Realosophy hosts our popular Schools for Home Buyers Workshop. Free for all to attend, we share our proprietary analytics on the relationship between school quality and house prices in Toronto -all assessed at the microlevel of the individual school district. If you want to learn which school districts offer the most value for your housing dollar, book your spot - next session is this Sat Feb 2nd at 12pm noon (sign up below).

And now for our latest Realosophy Top Ten - Toronto's Best "Alternative" or "Specialized" Elementary Schools. If you still suffer flashbacks of that rather grim day spent choosing between Mr. Grimes's shop class and Ms. Cleeney's home economics course, it may surprise (or infuriate) you to learn that many of Toronto's youngest students are already studying electronics and graphic design. ("I coulda been a contender!")

This week, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has updated the status of elementary schools, letting you know which schools are now accepting students from outside designated catchment areas. Among the most popular are those designated as "Alternative" or "Specialized." While the Board may be clear on these bureaucratic differentiators, the differences are hard to discern online (a quick look at any school's What Sets Us Apart webpage makes you hope they are not teaching any students marketing or "writing to explain.")

Kristen, the newest member of our intrepid Realosophy Analytics team, has chopped through the cyberjungle that is the interlinked websites of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), individual schools and the Ontario Ministry of Education to help you navigate. One rough distinction to keep in mind is that "Alternative" schools feature smaller class sizes and unique programs such as environmental awareness, while "Specialized" schools cater to students with a special interest in (and in some cases, a demonstrated talent for) particular fields such as arts or athletics.

As always, we strongly advise you to visit each individual school in order to 1) figure out what really sets them apart and 2) figure out if you can get in. (Phone numbers provided below.)

Best Toronto Elementary Schools - Alternative or Specialized

Understanding the Data

• The Province of Ontario's Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) scores (0-100%) indicate the number of students at or above the provincial standard in a subject.
• Covers all TDSB schools - the province does not report results for some schools which are excluded.
• Schools are ranked by Realosophy Overall Score. Overall Score represents average EQAO score for 6 tests written by elementary students in 2011-2012 (for elementary schools, these tests are Reading, Writing and Math at Gr. 3 and 6 levels).
• Note: the province does not report some test scores for some schools - these test scores are excluded.
• Note: While a school may be co-located with a mainstream school, it may operate on a completely separate basis.
• Type: Alternative (smaller classes and different approach to learning) or Specialized (focused on a particular field, e.g., Arts or Athletics)
• Status: Open (students outside catchment can request to attend), Closed (catchment only), Application (requires application and/or audition)
• Average House Price is for period of Jan to Aug 2012 (based on Toronto Real Estate Board TREB) data).

 

1. Claude Watson School for the Arts		See all houses for sale near Claude Watson
	Neighbourhood: Willowdale Grades: 1-8 Enrollment: 301 Address: 130 Doris Avenue Phone: 416 395 3180 Type: Specialized Focus: Arts Status: Application Avg. House Price: $564,972
Browse detailed school scores and demographic data for Claude Watson

Best Toronto Schools 2012 for Math (Realosophy Top Ten Neighbourhoods)

Realosophy Team in Toronto Schools, Toronto Neighbourhoods, Top Ten Neighbourhoods

It's a frequent - almost incessant - request. Some Move Smartly readers really, really want us to re-run our popular Best Toronto Schools list - for Math only.

Perhaps these parents suspect that looking at scores averaged over all tests (for elementary schools, these tests are Reading, Writing and Math) allows some top performing schools to mask a relatively weaker performance on a subject that many think is "harder to teach."  On the flip side, perhaps some are hoping to unearth a hidden gem of a Math program in a school that performs more moderately overall in a relatively cheaper neighbourhood.

Well, our self-described "Tiger Mom" correspondents can rest easy.

Our "Math Only" list shows almost complete overlap with our overall Best Toronto Schools list. (Note: we excluded three schools - Claude Watson, St. George's and Braeburn - from our overall Top Ten list because the province does not report all 6 test results for these schools; if we focus on the tests results that are reported, these schools would be in the Top Ten.) Only one school with top Math marks has a *relatively* lower overall performance - Rosethorn, which in the immortal words of Adam Sandler, is "not too shabby" with a 93 English score.

But buyers looking for deals will not be disappointed. Don Valley Village - a top value neighbourhood we've been recommending to participants in our popular Schools for Home Buyers Workshop over the last year - is a particular standout. If you want to learn about other school districts that offer the most value for your housing dollar, sign up up for our free Workshop now - last session for this year is Dec 1st (sign up below).

And now, the team at Realosophy Analytics proudly dedicates this week's Top Ten to Toronto's budding Putnam champions (and future Bank of England governors!)

 

Best Toronto Schools for Math - Elementary

Understanding the Data

• The Province of Ontario's Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) scores (0-100%) indicate the number of students at or above the provincial standard in a subject.
• Covers all Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Catholic schools (Note: the province does not report results for some schools which are excluded).
• Realosophy's Math score (in the bright yellow circle) represents the average of 2 Math tests written by elementary students (one at Gr. 3 and one at Gr. 6) in 2011-2012.
• 1 Year Change Math represents the year-over-year change in Math score from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012.
• Overall Score represents average EQAO score for 6 tests written by elementary students in 2011-2012 (for elementary schools, these tests are Reading, Writing and Math at Gr. 3 and 6 levels).
• Note: the province does not report some test scores for some schools - these tests are excluded.
• Average House Price is for period of Jan to Aug 2012 (based on Toronto Real Estate Board data).
• 1 Year Change Price indicates change in average house price each year from 2011 to 2012.

 

1. Hillmount Public School		See all houses for sale in Hillmount School District
	Neighbourhood: Don Valley Village Grades: JK-6 Enrollment: 280  Address: 245 McNicoll Ave 1 Yr Change Math: -1 Overall Score: 99 Avg. House Price: $483,720 1 Yr Change Price: +6%
Browse detailed school scores and demographic data for Hillmount

Most Improved Toronto Schools 2012 (Realosophy Top Ten Neighbourhoods)

Realosophy Team in Toronto Schools, Toronto Neighbourhoods, Top Ten Neighbourhoods

It's a home buyer question we get a lot at our monthly Schools for Home Buyers workshop - which Toronto schools are most likely to improve over the next few years?

Many participants are young parents with limited housing budgets - their kids are a few years away from entering school and they'd like to buy into a more affordable neighbourhood now, with the hopes that the local school will improve relatively quickly.

Data crunching drives our workshop, so we're not surprised to see Wellesworth Junior School in Centennial Park (427/Eglinton) top our latest list of Toronto's Most Improved Elementary Schools - we've been recommending this fast riser in our workshop for the past few years.

Want to know what school districts will offer the fastest improvements in school quality and house appreciation in the next 3 years? Get our top picks at our next workshop - next session is this Sat Nov 3rd (sign up below).

Most Improved Toronto Schools - Elementary

Understanding the Data

• The Province of Ontario's Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) scores (0-100%) indicate the number of students at or above the provincial standard in a subject.
• Covers all Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Catholic schools (Note: the province does not report results for some schools which are excluded).
• Realosophy's improvement score (in the bright yellow circle) represents the average 3-year increase (in percentage points) from 2009-10 to 2011-12 for the 6 tests written by elementary students (Note: the province does not report some test scores which are excluded).
• Avg. EQAO score represents average score for 6 tests written by elementary students in 2011-2012.
• Average house price for period of Jan to Aug 2012 (based on Toronto Real Estate Board data).
• % Change indicates change in average house price from 2009 to 2012.
• Yearly change indicates change in average house price each year from 2009 to 2012.
 

1. Wellesworth Junior		See all houses for sale in Wellesworth Junior School District
	Neighbourhood: Centennial Park Grades: JK-5 Enrollment: 204 Address: 225 Wellesworth Dr Avg. EQAO Score: 70 Avg. House Price: $345,423 % Change: +24%
Browse detailed school scores and demographic data for Wellesworth

Best Toronto Schools 2012 (Realosophy Top Ten Neighbourhoods)

Realosophy Team in Toronto Schools, Toronto Neighbourhoods, Top Ten Neighbourhoods

Thanks to the fabulous Realosophy Analytics team, Realosophy.com is now updated with the latest EQAO scores released by the Province of Ontario for 2011-12.

To celebrate, here's the latest cut of one of Realosophy's most popular Top Ten Lists - Best Toronto Elementary Schools.

We're not surprised to see Don Valley Village make a huge splash on this list with 3 schools - we've been flagging this mid-priced neighbourhood as a great value investment to participants in our popular Schools for Home Buyers workshop for some time now. Want to know more Realosophy top picks? Sign up for this weekend's workshop below - spaces are filling up fast!

  

Top Ten Toronto Schools - Elementary

Understanding the Data

• The Province of Ontario's Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) scores (0-100%) indicate the number of students at or above the provincial standard in a subject based on 2011-12 test results.
• Realosophy's overall score (in the bright yellow circle) represents an average of the six EQAO test scores written by students in 2011-12 (reading, writing and math at the Gr. 3 and Gr. 6 levels).
• Covers all Toronto public schools including Catholic School Board (Note: some schools for which some EQAO results are not reported are excluded).
• % Change indicates change in overall score from last year to the current year. (Editor Note: Correction Oct 10 11am - Earlier version of this blog post reported change over 3 years. Post has now been corrected).
• Average house price for period of Jan to Aug 2012 (based on Toronto Real Estate Board data).
• % Change indicates change in average house price from last year to the current year.
 

1. Hillmount Public School		See all houses for sale in Hillmount Public School District
	Neighbourhood: Don Valley Village Grades: JK-6 Enrollment: 280 Address: 245 McNicoll Ave Avg. EQAO Score: 99 % Change: +1% Avg. House Price: $483,720 % Change: +6%
Browse detailed school scores and demographic data for Hillmount

Toronto Real Estate by School District

John Pasalis in Toronto Schools, Home Buying, Realosophy News

When we launched realosophy.com back in 2007, we pioneered market analysis by neighbourhood in Toronto. At the time, realtor.ca boundaries of E01, C11 and W01 really confused consumers – for example, E01 encompassed the vastly different neighbourhoods of Riverdale, Leslieville and Blake Jones. We worked to reflect neighbourhoods as consumers knew them - which more accurately reflected actual real estate trends). Our neighbourhood profiles brought together school data, housing statistics and demographic data to help home buyers figure out which neighbourhoods would be the best fit for them.

When we opened the doors of our real estate brokerage in 2009, we saw first-hand that home buyers were once again pushing ahead of the market. Once our clients had narrowed their search down to two or three neighbourhoods they liked, they started to zoom in even closer, becoming hyper-focused on the school district they wanted to buy in.

Many home buyers don’t want to buy in Bloor West Village, they want to buy in the Runnymede Junior and Senior Public School district. They aren’t interested in just any house in Davisville, it has to be in the Maurice Cody Junior Public School catchment area.

So we decided that our latest innovation would be to allow Toronto home buyers to search for homes by school district.  (To check out how we do this, see houses currently for sale in the Maurice Cody school district.)

If you’re looking to buy a home and school quality is an important priority for you, zeroing in on what’s available is just the first part of your challenge. You will find yourself competing with many other buyers and having to assess and make trade-offs – here are a few words of advice that I share with my clients.

Best Toronto Neighbourhoods for Great Schools (Realosophy Top Ten Neighbourhoods)

Urmi Desai in Top Ten Neighbourhoods, Toronto Schools, Home Buying

 

Realosophy Schools for Home Buyers Workshop - Starts Again Sept 2012

If you’re buying a home, schools are likely important to you. To help you make better buying decisions, Realosophy is now drilling down to give you stats on house price appreciation and EQAO score changes at the school district level. Join our free workshop to understand latest trends, get our top neighbourhood picks and ask your own questions in a friendly atmosphere. Our popular workshops take place on the first Saturday of each month. Scroll to the bottom of this post to sign up for the next one. (Learn more about workshop)

 

This Week's Top Schools List

Beat your kid at Scrabble one too many times over Family Day and worried about the quality of schooling she's getting?

Introducing our latest top ten neighbourhoods list - Best Toronto Neighbourhoods for Great Schools - the latest in our spotlight on schools and real estate. This list tells us which Toronto neighbourhoods have the largest number of schools that best the province's standardized testing (EQAO).

Caveats about the limits of EQAO testing notwithstanding, this is THE list for many aspiring Toronto home buyers.

Not surprisingly, this list of "top neighbourhoods for best schools" is also is a list of of luxury neighbourhoods ($1 million and up). Cheers to Markland Woods (Markland Wood to its close-knit residents) for making it anyway.

Safe as Houses Schools?

Leaving aside the question of whether it's really the school that makes the child, it's clear that many home buyers - even those without school-age children - look at school quality as a way to buy into a "safe" neighbourhood that will always increase or at least hold steady in value. And it's an impulse that's harder to ignore as Toronto moves into a flat real estate market over the next few years (against the not-so-picturesque backdrop of European economic contagion, unrest in the Middle East and general malaise).

But far too often our need for safety outstrips our ability to get it. So what does the data say - are great schools a magical elixir for house values?

Looking at our list, we see that over the last three years, neighbourhoods with great schools have shared an interesting trait - though they post healthy rates of appreciation, in most cases they underperform relative to the city average (23%).

This is not too surprising given that these neighbourhoods start at relatively high values, making them less likely to appreciate as notably as fast-surging emerging neighbourhoods might.

This 3-year period also includes the short-but-sharp real estate downturn of 2008, set off by the bomb that was the US subprime mortgage collapse. But like boring-but-safe bonds (or the asset class that used to act like safe-but-boring bonds), we don't expect these neighbourhoods to dazzle so much as hold firm, particularly in bad times. So how did they do?

Like everywhere else, the downturn in Toronto's real estate market began in October 2008. Luckily, and not like everywhere else, the downturn lasted approximately 6 months. The neigbourhoods on this list experienced some of the sharpest drops during the downturn, with a average year-over-year drop in prices of 12% (compared to a city-average drop of - 6%). Should we be surprised?

First, the caveats. It's important to keep in mind that neighbourhood appreciation stats in high-priced neighbourhoods tend to be skewed as the sale of only one or two houses can have a disproportionate impact on overall appreciation figures. We are also looking at a very short period of time.

But we start to see something really important about the relationship between schools and house appreciation - because many "best school" neighbourhoods are also luxury neighbourhoods, any "schools boost" may be offset by the high-price tag effect. In lean times, home buyers at top end of the market can always hold off on upsizing, resulting in a more pronounced fall in demand in this market segment. Overtime, these neighbourhoods do recover their value as evidenced by longer appreciation trends. But these are hardly the steady-as-she-goes neighbourhoods we expect them to be.

Again, this list underscores our central point about schools and house appreciation - there is no simple relationship here.

The Data

• Overall score (in the bright yellow circle) represents an average of the six EQAO tests written by students in 2010-11 (reading, writing and math at the Gr. 3 and Gr. 6 levels), averaged over all schools in the neighbourhood (percentage indicates number of students performing at or above the provincial standard).
• Covers all elementary schools in Toronto (Note: schools with only one elementary school have been excluded; some schools are too small to report EQAO results and are excluded).
• Average house prices for the neighbourhood in 2011.
• 3 Year increase in house prices from 2008 to 2011.
• 2008 Downturn performance represents year-over-year appreciation from Oct 2008 to Oct 2009.

1. Lawrence Park		See all houses for sale in Lawrence Park
	Neighbourhood: Lawrence Park Number of Top Schools in 'Hood: 1 Average House Price: $2,129,108 3-Year Increase in House Prices: 3% 2008 Downturn Performance: -28%
Browse detailed school info and scores for Lawrence Park

Are You a Home Buyer Wondering About Schools?

Worried about buying in the right school district for your family?

Worried you can’t afford to?!

Realosophy’s popular Schools for Home Buyers Workshops are held on the first Saturday each month. Grab a spot before the session fills up – and strategize before you hit open houses this spring! Next Session this Sat March 2nd 2013 - Sign Up Now!

Our free, no obligation workshop will empower you to make the right school-related home buying decisions in Toronto.

The 1-hour session, designed and delivered in Realosophy’s trademark style – fresh, data-driven and frank – will address your key questions including:

• How does school quality impact my house value?
• How can I compete for houses in good school districts when there are so many crazy bidding wars?
• Will I be able to sell my house if I buy into a school district that is not that great today?
• Which school district is most likely to improve in the future?
• Where are Toronto’s best schools located?
• What are some more affordable school districts in the city?
• Are there any affordable neighbourhoods that have a disproportionate number of good quality schools?
• What Toronto neighbourhoods best fit all of my needs including school quality?

Old-fashioned real estate brokerages have been telling home buyers the same story for decades  (“you should always buy in the best school districts” is an oldie but a goodie) because they don't have the information and data to offer buyers concrete advice.  

Realosophy is today’s real estate brokerage – for today's home buyer. We know that today's consumers want to base their home buying decisions on something more than old wives’ tales about the importance of schools – and we deliver.

How We Do It

Our analysis of the effects of school quality on house values is based on concrete data.

Since 2008, Realosophy Analytics has been developing and advancing our proprietary technology to publish neighbourhood level real estate statistics for the Globe and Mail, Toronto Life and other media outlets.

Using this same technology, we’re taking our analysis a step further – analyzing real estate statistics by Toronto school districts.  Our technology allows us to track house price changes by school district and compare these price changes to changes in school quality as measured by a school's EQAO score, over a three to four year time period.

The result is concrete data and facts about the relationship between school quality and house prices that every home buyer should know.

Read more about our spotlight on the relationship between schools and real estate here at Move Smartly.

Sign up for Realosophy's Schools for Home Buyers Workshop

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Most Improved Toronto Schools 2012 (Realosophy Ten Ten Neighbourhoods)

Urmi Desai in Top Ten Neighbourhoods, Home Buying, Toronto Schools, Toronto Neighbourhoods

It's been an exciting week for our Realosophy Analytics spotlight on the relationship between School Quality and Real Estate Values.

Following our first list, Best Toronto Schools for 2012, we were profiled in the Toronto Star.

The feedback we've been hearing from you is consistent with our premise: while we are all aware that EQAO scores tell only a part of a school's story, these scores nonetheless influence your home buying decisions. You've told us that having access to this type of information helps you think about your goals and feel empowered about making your own decisions.

Realosophy Schools for Home Buyers Workshop - Starts Again Sept 2012

If you’re buying a home, schools are likely important to you. To help you make better buying decisions, Realosophy is now drilling down to give you stats on house price appreciation and EQAO score changes at the school district level. Join our free workshop to understand latest trends, get our top neighbourhood picks and ask your own questions in a friendly atmosphere. Our popular workshops take place on the first Saturday of each month. Scroll to the bottom of this post to sign up for the next one. (Learn more about workshop)

 

This Week's List - Most Improved Toronto Schools 2012

Now, onto the main show! I'm particularly excited about this week's installment: Top Ten Most Improved Elementary Schools in Toronto for 2012.

For all the controversy about EQAO scores and what they actually measure, we often miss a far more important story. No score is static, and improvement, more than any other metric, may reveal to us what is truly important about any organization - its ability to assess its current reality, successfully diagnosis problems and do better. (RIM, are you listening?)

And what a fantastic story this week's list has to tell. Most of the most improved schools are in affordable neighbourhoods, many of which are next generation emerging neighbourhoods. Seven out of the ten schools improved to an average EQAO score of 70 and above. Improvements ranged from between 24 to 36 in average percentage points.

Above all, this top ten list tells us a story of hard work - the hard work of students, teachers and parents working to make their schools better. And really, isn't hard work the biggest lesson we want to instill in our children?

 

The Data

• Overall change (in the bright yellow circle) represents the average increase or decrease (in percentage points) in EQAO scores from 2007-08 to 2010-11; average of all six tests written by students (reading, writing and math at the Gr. 3 and Gr. 6 levels)
• Covers all Toronto public schools with an overall average test score above 60 (Note: some schools are too small to report EQAO results and are excluded)
• Average EQAO test score represents number of students obtaining the provincial standard; average of all six tests written in 2010-11
• Average house prices for the neighbourhood in 2011
• 3-Year increase in house prices from 2008 to 2011

1. Kimberley Junior Public School		See all houses for sale in Kimberley Junior Public School District
	Neighbourhood: East End Danforth Grades: JK-6 Enrollment: 271 Address: 50 Swanwick Ave Average EQAO Test Score: 86% 3 Yr EQAO Score Improvement: 36% Average House Price: $487,469 3 Yr Increase in House Prices: 16%
Browse detailed school scores and demographic data for Kimberley Junior Public School

Best Toronto Schools 2012 (Realosophy Top Ten Neighbourhoods)

Urmi Desai in  Top Ten Neighbourhoods, Toronto Schools, Home Buying, Toronto Neighbourhoods

It's school time at Realosophy Analytics! Our month-long feature looks at the special relationship between real estate and schools.

Today's post looks at the top elementary schools in Toronto as measured by the province's latest standardized EQAO scores.

While it's tempting to tape this school list to your goal wall/fridge/dreams and "make it so",  it's important to remember that EQAO scores only tell us so much about school quality. For one, standardized testing results tend to favour advantaged socioeconomic groups, which can make the results more about 'who' attends than 'what' is being taught.

Educators also stress that some school strengths - like special curriculums or educational philosophies - fall outside testing parameters. But interestingly, specialty schools are a strong presence on our list. This is likely due to admissions requirements (e.g., for arts schools) and smaller class sizes.

Realosophy Schools for Home Buyers Workshop - Starts Again Sept 2012

If you’re buying a home, schools are likely important to you. To help you make better buying decisions, Realosophy is now drilling down to give you stats on house price appreciation and EQAO score changes at the school district level. Join our free workshop to understand latest trends, get our top neighbourhood picks and ask your own questions in a friendly atmosphere. Our popular workshops take place on the first Saturday of each month. Scroll to the bottom of this post to sign up for the next one. (Learn more about workshop)

 

The Data

• Overall score (in the bright yellow circle) represents an average of the six EQAO tests written by students in 2010-11 (reading, writing and math at the Gr. 3 and Gr. 6 levels)
• Covers all Toronto public schools (Note: some schools are too small to report EQAO results and are excluded)
• 3 Year EQAO Increase represents an average of percentage points change from 2007-08 for all tests
• Average house prices for the neighbourhood in 2011
• 3 Year increase in house prices from 2008 to 2011

Next Up: Most Improved Toronto Schools 2012

 

1. Claude Watson School for the Arts		See all houses for sale near Claude Watson School for Arts School
	Neighbourhood: Willowdale Grades: 1-8 Enrollment: 325 Address: 130 Doris Avenue Average EQAO Test Score: 100% 3 Year EQAO Score Improvement: 4% Average House Price: $488,344 3 Year Increase in House Prices: 30%
Browse detailed school scores and demographic data for Claude Watson

 

What’s Driving Toronto Real Estate Prices Up? The School Factor

Urmi Desai in Top Ten Neighbourhoods, Toronto Schools, Toronto Neighbourhoods, Home Buying

It’s time to get schooled!

We’ve updated www.realosophy.com with the latest 2011 EQAO data for over 1,800 GTA schools and the Realosophy Analytics team have taken a long, hard look at the data. Over the next few weeks, we'll be reporting on the symbiotic relationship that is Toronto real estate and Toronto schools.

Today, we’ll start with an overview of some key trends.

Move Over Starbucks

Look behind the crazy bidding wars in Toronto’s hottest neighbourhoods and you’ll find a lot of good schools. It’s not new that parents are anxious to give their kids the best start in life. (I’m reminded of the advice of a Richmond Hill high school principal once gave to my dad: “Frankly, Mr. Desai, if your kid’s smart, they’ll do great anywhere. If they’re not, well, that’s another story.”) But it’s an anxiety that’s only gotten stronger – or at least become more acted upon – thanks to the introduction of standardized testing at Ontario schools in 1995 and the reporting of results on the internet, a mini baby boom in Toronto and a growing sense that our children will be wrestling out their futures in a highly globalized bear pit of competition. Today, many home buyers with children focus their home search exclusively on school quality.

Forget about the Starbucks effect - it’s all about the school effect.

Toronto Schools are Getting Better

The good news is that our data shows that Toronto schools are improving under all this scrutiny. Compared to three years ago, there are 45% more elementary schools scoring an average of 80% or greater (this is an average of results obtained in the six different EQAO tests elementary school students write - reading, writing and math at the Gr. 3 and Gr. 6 levels). In November, a cross-Canada study carried out by Education Ministers showed that Ontario alone had students placing above the national average in all three examined subjects – reading, math and science.