How the Success Index (Canada) works
A transparent, reproducible way to compare every Canadian school using only official data. No surveys, no paid placements, no black box.
Data sources
The Canada Success Index currently covers Ontario and British Columbia, the two provinces that publish school-level data in open formats. Ontario schools are scored on EQAO results (Grade 3, Grade 6, Grade 9 mathematics and the Grade 10 literacy test) and the Ministry's school demographics; British Columbia schools on Foundation Skills Assessment scale scores in literacy and numeracy. Every component is a percentile within the same province and school level, so an elementary school in Ontario is compared only with other Ontario elementary schools.
- Ontario – School information and student demographics (OGL – Ontario)
- BC Data Catalogue – Foundation Skills Assessment (OGL – BC)
The current dataset covers 8,358 schools, of which 5,947 receive a score and 5,914 are ranked. Data was retrieved on 8 October 2026.
The components
Each school is compared only with schools of the same type across Canada. For each component we convert the raw value to a percentile within that type, then combine the percentiles with these weights:
| Component | Weight | Raw measure | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| EQAO Grade 3 (reading, writing, maths) | 20% | EQAO Grade 3 | Average share of Grade 3 students at or above the provincial standard across reading, writing and mathematics. |
| EQAO Grade 6 (reading, writing, maths) | 25% | EQAO Grade 6 | Average share of Grade 6 students at or above the provincial standard. |
| EQAO Grade 9 mathematics | 25% | EQAO Grade 9 maths | Share of Grade 9 students at or above the provincial standard in mathematics. |
| OSSLT first-attempt pass rate | 20% | OSSLT pass rate | Share of students passing the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test on their first attempt. |
| FSA literacy score | 25% | FSA literacy score | Average Foundation Skills Assessment literacy scale score across Grades 4 and 7 (about 500 is on track). |
| FSA numeracy score | 25% | FSA numeracy score | Average Foundation Skills Assessment numeracy scale score across Grades 4 and 7. |
| Community advantage (fewer low-income households) | 10% | Low-income households (lower is better) | Share of students living in low-income households (Ontario). |
| Parent education (fewer parents without a credential) | 10% | Parents without a credential (lower is better) | Share of students whose parents have no degree, diploma or certificate (Ontario); lower is more advantaged. |
Adjustments
- Missing components are left out and the remaining weights are rescaled, so a school is never penalised for data that is not published for its type.
- Small schools: components marked as size-sensitive are shrunk toward the median for schools under 300 students, and schools with fewer than 60 students are scored but not ranked.
- Excluded types: Alternative are listed but not scored.
- Required data: a school needs a published Enrolment to be scored.
Bands and ranks
The combined score is placed on a 0–100 scale and labelled by percentile within school type: Top 5%, Top 10%, Top 25%, Top 50% or Lower 50%. Ranks are computed nationally, within each province and within each school board or district, always within school type.
Known limitations
- Provinces publish different assessments, so scores are comparable within a province, not between provinces.
- EQAO and FSA are point-in-time assessments and participation varies; FSA scores are averages for schools with at least eight writers.
- Private and independent schools generally have no published assessment results and receive no score.
Attribution
Ontario school information, demographics and EQAO results: Ontario Ministry of Education (Open Government Licence – Ontario). British Columbia school and Foundation Skills Assessment data: BC Ministry of Education and Child Care (Open Government Licence – British Columbia). The Success Index is produced by Success Tutoring and is not endorsed by any ministry or EQAO.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Success Index (Canada) a measure of school quality?
No. It summarises published data about a school community and, where available, attainment. These correlate with academic results but do not measure teaching quality, wellbeing or culture.
Why are small schools not ranked?
Schools with fewer than 60 students have growth and attainment figures that swing dramatically with a handful of enrolments. They receive a score on their profile page but are excluded from ranking tables.
How often is it updated?
Automatically whenever the source agencies publish new data, plus whenever we improve the methodology. The data year (2025) is shown on every page.
Can a school pay to improve its ranking?
No. Success Tutoring accepts no payment from schools, and the index is computed mechanically from official data by open-source code.