Ruth King
October 14, 2010Louverda Chabert
October 18, 2010
For the past three years, the Louisiana Department of Education has identified schools that have scored highly according to state standards despite high poverty numbers.
Twenty schools met the criteria in each of the first two years, but that number ballooned to 35 in 2010 with two schools from Terrebonne Parish – Bayou Black Elementary and Dularge Middle School – earning the distinction as High Performing, High Poverty schools.
“Bayou Black Elementary and Dularge Middle School are demonstrating that children can succeed, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status,” State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. “The teachers and the students at these schools are to be commended for their hard work and perseverance.”
In order for a school to be named to the HPHP list, they must meet the baseline School Performance Score of 100 for two consecutive years and not be listed as a School in Decline, which is a label assigned to schools whose SPS is below 110 and dropped by 2.5 points or more in an academic year.
SPS are based on student scores on state assessments, attendance and dropout and graduation rates.
Also, at least 65 percent of the school’s students must be enrolled in the federally funded free or reduced-price meal program, which is used as an indicator of poverty.
“When you have a school that has over 65 percent of their families that are qualified for the free reduced lunch programs and they’re still able to get students’ achievement that proficient that SPS score over 100 despite other barriers, it’s a big accomplishment,” Terrebonne Parish Assistant Superintendent Carol Davis said. “We’re so proud of those two schools. They work hard. They’re focused on increasing student achievement and on all of their kids being proficient.”
Davis said the schools’ achievement is a testament to the hard work put in by the principals, faculty and members of the community.
“They have high standards, the principals and teachers,” she said. “They have high expectations. With the kids, there are no excuses. All kids can learn and will learn. Failure is not an option.
“They serve as mentors to others in the state in helping other schools as well. We’re very proud of those two schools, with two hard-working principals and two hard-working faculties.”
More specifically, Davis said, the attitude around the schools has led to the accomplishment.
“Kids that need assistance, they make sure they get it and provide it to them and encourage them. That is the biggest thing I see. They truly have this, ‘We believe our kids will learn. They shall learn. There are no excuses’ attitude, and the kids believe that.”
The 35 schools will be honored in the spring in Baton Rouge, where the schools’ principals and parish superintendents will be in attendance to receive a plaque and kind words from Pastorek.
Terrebonne Parish will also honor Bayou Black Elementary and Dularge Middle School at an upcoming school board meeting, Davis said.
The LDOE has been compiling the HPHP list for three years. Forest Hill Elementary in Rapides Parish has made the list every year, and 18 schools made the list for the second consecutive year, including Dularge Middle School.
“It’s also worth pointing out that this is the second year in a row Dularge Middle School has earned the HPHP title, proving the school has been able to overcome the challenges associated with educating students from impoverished backgrounds,” Pastorek said. “We are working to study and replicate the strategies used in these schools with the aim of duplicating their success statewide.”
The Louisiana Department of Education named Dularge Middle School to its list of High-Performing, High-Poverty schools for the second consecutive year. ERIC BESSON
