NEWS

Majority of Rapides schools see better performance scores

Scroll to see a full list of 2015-16 performance scores for Rapides schools.

Miranda Klein
mklein@thetowntalk.com
Pineville High School leaders celebrate the release of 2015-16 performance scores from the state. The school went from a 97.4 B last year to a 100.4 A this year.

More Rapides Schools earned A and B letter grades from the state this year, helping move up the district's overall performance score by several points.

The Louisiana Department of Education released 2015-16 scores reflective of student performance Thursday morning. The district received a 92 B grade on the state's 150-point scale, improving from an 86.7 B last year and 86.4 the year before.

Rapides Superintendent Nason "Tony" Authement said he is pleased to see the district rank among the top six in the state for growth this year. He noted the district's move from No. 55 in Louisiana (when its score was a 75.7 C) to No. 29 in the state.

"In three years, we've grown by leaps and bounds," Authement said.

Rapides now has seven schools with A's, up one from the previous year, and 14 schools with B's, which is two more than last year. The district has 12 schools with C's, nine with D's and five with failing grades (one failing schools serves developmentally challenged students). That is two less C's, one less D over last year. The number of failing schools was unchanged.

Buckeye High School celebrated becoming an A-school with a special announcement and performances by band members and cheerleaders.
Buckeye High School celebrated becoming an A-school with a special announcement and performances by band members and cheerleaders.

The state's accountability system currently evaluates elementary and middle schools largely on standardized test scores. High schools are judged on end-of-course test scores, ACT scores and graduation rate.

Who improved

A total of 29 schools out of 47 evaluated here improved their school performance score, and 11 of those showed enough progress to earn a higher letter grade.

  • Alexandria Senior High, Buckeye High School, and Pineville High School all increased their scores from B to A. Last year, no Rapides 9-12 high schools received an A.
  • Glenmora High School, J.B. Nachman Elementary, Pineville Junior High, Scott M. Brame Middle School and Tioga Junior High School moved from C to B. The three middle schools grew by more than 10 points.
  • Horseshoe Drive Elementary New Vision Academy, Lessie Moore Elementary and Peabody High School brought up their previous D letter grade to a C. That means they are no longer considered "failing" by the state or "turnaround" schools by the district. 

Room for growth

There were 17 schools that saw decreases in their scores. For six schools, that meant receiving a lower letter grade than last year. One school received the same score as last year.

  • North Bayou Rapides Elementary and Pineville Elementary moved from C to D. 
  • Paradise Elementary and Tioga Elementary received C's instead of B's like last year. 
  • Poland Junior High and Ruby-Wise Elementary went from A- to B-schools. 

Schools can earn progress points by moving students who have been below proficient to the proficiency mark on state assessments. As a district, Rapides earned 5.3 progress points, which Authement called "extremely significant."

"But we've got some schools that received no progress points," Authement said. "So we've really got to focus on those schools."

More wins

The district’s eight Top Gains schools, which grew by 5 or 10 points and maintained or grew in each subgroup, were Martin Park, Horseshoe Drive, Lessie Moore, D.F. Huddle, Pineville Junior High, Tioga Junior High, Caroline Dormon and Phoenix Magnet. The first four were "turnaround" or TAP (Teacher Advancement Program) schools.

"We’ve put tremendous amount of resources and support into those schools, and it paid off with them moving out of turnaround status," Authement said.

Also no longer a "failing" school, Peabody Magnet joined other Rapides high schools in improving ACT scores, which made all the difference, said Peabody Magnet Principal Jamie Henagan.

"Our senior students worked extra hard to score well on the ACT," Henagan said.

"For this upcoming school year, we fully intend and are on the right track to maintain our scores," she added.

Improved ACT scores and graduation rates were key in the progress made by ASH, Bolton, Buckeye and Pineville. Authement said high schools are "focused on the right work" and that "brought them over the top."

Almost every Rapides middle school made strides in their performance scores this year, and Brame led the district, improving 21.2 points. The school's score dropped last year, Principal Wally Fall said, and staff came together to reassess and pull it back up.

"When the whole faculty is on board ... that's one of the (keys) to success," Fall said. "It's been a team effort."

Outside Rapides, several Central Louisiana school systems improved their overall performance score and letter grade. Those districts were Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, LaSalle and Natchitoches. Allen and LaSalle join Vernon as A-districts this year.

District scores across Central Louisiana

Allen, A 104.2

Avoyelles, C 73.6

Catahoula, B 87

Concordia, C 77.9

Grant, B 96.3

LaSalle, A 104.6

Natchitoches, B 88.2

Rapides, B 92

Vernon, A 109

Winn, C 80.5

Rapides school performance scores

Acadian, C 71.3

Alexandria Middle Magnet, F 45.6

Alexandria Senior High, A 101.6

Ball, B 87.7

J.I. Barron, B 99.8

Bolton, C 76

Brame, B 87.9

Mabel Brasher, D 50

Buckeye Elementary, B 96.3

Buckeye High, A 101.3

Cherokee, C 75.4

Glenmora High, B 87.3

Mary Goff, B 93.6

Horseshoe Drive, C 68.3 

D.F. Huddle, F 39.5

Arthur F. Smith, D 63.6

Hadnot Hayes, F 42.9

Martin Park, D 62.3

J.B. Nachman, B 87

North Bayou Rapides, D 51.3

Oak Hill, B 88.5

Paradise, C 82.8

Peabody Magnet, C 72.3

Peabody Montessori, A 108.8

Pineville Elementary, D 65.1

Pineville High, A 100.4 

Pineville Junior High, B 95.2 

Plainview, C 83 

Poland Junior High, B 95.8

Rapides High, C 74.1

Carter C. Raymond, 55.1

Julius Patrick, D 51.9

Rosenthal Montessori, A 106.5

Ruby-Wise, B 88.3 

L.S. Rugg, D 59.1

W.O. Hall, D 57.6

Lessie Moore, C 74.4

Alma Redwine, F 25.2

Tioga Elementary, C 80.1

Tioga High, B 95.1

Tioga Junior High, B 85

Forest Hill, C 78.9

Rapides Training Academy, F 11 *serves developmentally challenged students

Northwood High, C 70.7

H.R. Lawrence, B 96.3

Phoenix Magnet, A 122.1

Caroline Dormon, A 122.4