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Abstract
(Marketwire - March 8, 2009) - Ten of the fastest improving elementary schools in Alberta are found in neighbourhoods that have among the lowest average parental incomes, according to the Fraser Institute's Report Card on Alberta's Elementary Schools 2009.
Ekota in Edmonton showed the greatest improvement, going from an overall score of 4.0 in 2004 to 6.8 in 2008. Average family income for parents of students at Ekota is $54,333. Terrace Road in Calgary improved from an overall score of 2.8 in 2004 to 5.3 in 2008. Average income for parents of students at Terrace Road is $49,814. Edmonton's Eastwood, with an average family income of $38,682 improved its overall score to 2.4 from zero in 2004.
[Peter Cowley] said critics of the Fraser Institute report card too often excuse a school's poor results by blaming them on socio-economic factors. By doing so, these critics are essentially writing off a student's chances of success based on a family's relatively low economic standing.