WATERLOO REGION — Students who score the highest in provincial tests have something in common — they often attend elementary schools in Waterloo.

Students who score the worst often attend schools in Kitchener.

Waterloo is the region's most educated and affluent city, which helps explain why some students excel and others falter in reading, writing and math.

"If you have parents at home (who) are highly educated and buy into the education system, of course that's going to have an influence on their kids," said David DeSantis, a superintendent of learning with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.

The Record analyzed the latest standardized test results for students in 129 elementary schools across six disciplines in Grades 3 and 6.

The analysis reviewed results and demographics to suggest that:

•Location matters. Of the 20 schools with the best test scores, 11 are in Waterloo and two are in Kitchener. Of the 20 schools with the worst test scores, 13 are in Kitchener and none are in Waterloo.

Waterloo adults are almost two times more educated than Kitchener adults based on university degrees, according to Statistics Canada.

Waterloo household incomes are estimated to be 25 per cent higher than those in Kitchener, according to a municipal study.

•Immigration matters a bit. Schools whose students test the highest have slightly fewer students born outside Canada than schools whose students test the worst.

•Native tongue matters a bit. Schools with the worst test results have slightly more students whose first language is not English, compared to schools with the best results.

•Language skills among recent immigrants matter a lot. Schools with the worst test results have double the students classified as English learners, compared to schools with the best results.

These would be students in Canada for four years or less who are not citizens.

Demographic challenges at some schools can be overcome if teachers engage their students in the best way, DeSantis said.

Students in Waterloo Region score well below provincial averages in Grades 3 and 6 and have fallen farther behind provincial averages since 2010, The Record has found.

But by Grades 9 and 10, students have caught up to the provincial average, suggesting that educators are taking below-average elementary students and helping them become average.

Local school boards say standardized test scores do not define good schools.

Other factors include whether students and families feel safe, active and involved and progress achieved over time.

"It takes an awful lot more to measure the quality of a school," said Mary-Lou Mackie, executive superintendent of education with the Waterloo Region District School Board.

Schools with best, worst results

This shows the percentage of students meeting the 2014 standard (Level 3 or 4) averaged across reading, writing and math tests in Grades 3 and 6.

It further compares results for each test across 129 public and Catholic schools.

Top-performing public students

St. Jacobs (Woolwich) — 91 per cent of students meet provincial standard, on average. School ranked top eight or better in every test.

Northlake Woods (Waterloo) — 87 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked top 24 or better in every test.

Lexington (Waterloo) — 85 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked top 19 or better in every test.

Top-performing Catholic students

Our Lady of Lourdes (Waterloo) — 88 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked top 18 or better in every test.

St. Nicholas (Waterloo) — 85 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked top 33 or better in every test.

Worst-performing public students

Prueter (Kitchener) — 40 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked 104 or worse in every test.

Rockway (Kitchener) — 38 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked 117 or worse in every test.

Parkway (Cambridge) — 31 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked 122 or worse in every test.

Worst-performing Catholic students

St. Peter (Cambridge) — 43 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked 104 or worse in every test.

St. Anne Cambridge — 42 per cent meet standard, on average. Ranked 93 or worse in every test.

•Seven public schools omitted because of incomplete data.