The annual academic ratings of Alberta’s 659 elementary schools were released on Saturday with three Calgary schools joining Edmonton’s Mount Pleasant School in a four-way tie atop the rankings.

The report uses data obtained from provincial achievement test results to compile the rankings.

Calgary’s Webber Academy, Sunalta School, and Clear Water Academy achieved perfect ratings alongside Mount Pleasant.

Out of the top 20 schools in the provincial rankings, eleven are in Calgary, seven are in Edmonton and two are in Okotoks.

42 elementary schools showed significant improvement in academic performance over their 2010-2011 results.

The author of the report says a drop in a school’s rank can be an effective way for parents and administrators to recognize academic concerns.

"If a school remains low performing over a number of years, or if its results deteriorate, parents can be very effective advocates for change and improvement," says the Fraser Institute’s Peter Cowley.

The complete 2011-2012 Fraser Institute elementary school rankings are available at School Report Cards.