OPINION

School scores better, but not good enough — Our View

Louisiana

Better than we were, but nowhere near where we need to be.

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.

That’s how we look at the positive news this month regarding the scores our local schools received this month from the state. We are very pleased to see that more Rapides Parish schools earned A and B letter grades this year, which helped boost the district’s overall performance score by several points. 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. That put Rapides Parish among the top 6 in growth this year.

It wasn’t that long ago Rapides Parish ranked 55th in the state, with a lowly 75.7 C score. Based on the new results, the system is up to No. 29. That is significant improvement, and Rapides Superintendent Nason “Tony” Authement, the school board, district staff and teachers all deserve praise for their hard work.

A total of 29 schools out of 47 evaluated locally this year improved their school performance score, and 11 of those showed enough progress to earn a higher letter grade. And 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. That’s great work, and you have our thanks.

That said, there is still much work that remains to be done. While Rapides Parish now has seven schools with A’s — one better than last year — and 14 schools with B’s — that’s two better than last year — the district has 12 schools with C’s, nine with D’s and five with failing grades. That is two fewer schools with C’s, one less D over last year, but the number of failing schools was unchanged. That’s 26 schools where students are not getting the educational service and support that they need and deserve.

Most concerning, there were 17 schools that saw decreases in their scores. For six schools, that meant receiving a lower letter grade than last year. Also, looking at Central Louisiana, Rapides is still behind the curve. Vernon Parish is the local role model with a 109 A score. LaSalle is next with a 104.6 A, then Allen Parish comes in with a 104.2 A. Grant Parish also finished ahead of Rapides, posting a 96.3 B. Only Avoyelles Parish trailed Rapides, earning a 73.6 C score.

So, while we applaud the good news that improvement has been made, this is no time for massive celebrations. Much work remains to be done. Parents have every right to expect the finest educational opportunities for their children. And that means an A+ effort at every school and for the district as well.

We encourage Superintendent Authement and our school leaders to look at the latest school performance scores in much the same way a parent would look at the information they receive from a teacher after a parent-teacher conference early in the school. It’s a great snapshot of where things stand — what the student is doing well and where the student needs to work to improve. In this case, we know many schools are on the right track, but many more need to make significant progress.

As we said, we’re please to see improvement. Overall, our local schools are better than they were — but they are still not where we need to be to meet the needs of our students.

Here is a quick glance at the scores for individual schools in Rapides Parish from the latest report:

  • 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 (Note, this school 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