Three Surrey schools are among the top 20 fastest-improving elementary schools in the province, according to the Fraser Institute's Report Card on British Columbia's Elementary Schools 2012.

They include two independent schools, Star of the Sea and Iqra Islamic, and one public school, McLeod Road Elementary.

In Delta, Southpointe Academy, a private school, was among the cluster of schools that ranked as the top schools in B.C.

Peter Cowley, Fraser Institute director of school performance studies, said the 20 schools showing the fastest academic improvement over the past five years includes 11 public schools where parental incomes are below average.

Cowley also noted that some of the schools also have a high ESL population and a significant number of special needs students.

The Fraser Institute Report Card on British Columbia's Elementary Schools rates 860 public and independent schools across the province based on 10 key indicators using date from province-wide testing data.

Cowley said the report card and provincial Foundation Skills Assessment tests, which are given annually to students in grades 4 and 7 to measure comprehension in reading, writing and numeracy, are vital to charting success in the school system.

He said the B.C. teachers' union opposition to FSA testing is a disservice to students and parents.

"If the teachers' union has its way, parents will be left in the dark about whether B.C. schools are meeting basic academic standards. Allowing the public to see whether schools are getting better or worse in terms of academics is the only way to ensure that students' needs are being put first. We need province-wide testing to make sure that happens," he said.

Surrey Teachers' Association president Denise Moffatt was unavailable for comment at Now press time.

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