SCHOOL DPS: WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

Last week, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) released School District Performance Scores, annual rankings of school districts’ performance compiled from three education indicators.

Fifty-nine (out of 68) school districts were graded on: (1) standardized tests given to students in grades 3-12; (2) attendance rates; and (3) dropout data. Each school system is given a score, and an overall state average is determined.†

Louisiana’s score for 2006 was 85.3—down 2.1 points from 2005.

Of the 59 districts ranked, 50 decreased.

School districts are also assigned performance labels from “Academically Unacceptable” to a one-to-five “Star” labeling system, with Five Stars being the best. For 2006, four districts received Three Stars, compared to 14 in 2005; 33 districts received Two Stars, compared to 32 in 2005; and two districts were Academically Unacceptable.

No district received a Four- or Five-Star rating. Overall, the state received Two Stars.

State officials were quick to point out that these scores were based on 2005-06 testing data and reflected not only new and tougher testing requirements, but also schools and students struggling in the aftermath of two devastating hurricanes.

However, the nine districts most heavily impacted were not included in the rankings due to large numbers of lost school days and displaced students. In fact, over 20,000 students did not have test scores reported. And many school systems not as severely impacted by the storms remain below the state goal.

So what does this decline mean?

After a decade of public education accountability and years of slow but respectable growth, have our school systems achieved all they can?†Or, does it simply reflect that our state could not overcome the disruption caused by the 2005 hurricanes?

Further, education officials claim that new tests can impact scores.†Did the new iLEAP test, with a supposedly tougher grading standard, send our student achievement trend downward? Or are these just excuses for a system that has maxed itself out, reforming all it can under current conditions?

The truth may be impossible to discern. The new tests aren’t comparable to the old ones, so comparisons may have to start from scratch. In fact, newly appointed Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said, because of the new test and hurricane turmoil, the latest scores should serve only as a baseline for future comparisons.

But, the NAEP national testing program will indicate how well Louisiana’s students do, compared to students in other states. And regardless of how one interprets the recent scores, the fact that Louisiana lags behind in public education achievement should come as no great surprise to anyone.

The state is not only battling the effect of the hurricanes, but is still trying to overcome decades of neglect that left our citizens shortchanged and kept our state from moving forward.

Do we still have a long way to go? Absolutely. But it’s not fair at this point to declare education reform dead. To do so would give credence to the enemies of reform, those who would do away with high stakes testing.

The hurricanes have forced many new beginnings in our state.†Whether we like it or not, education accountability is one of those “new beginnings.” It may take years for our data collection to provide solid answers as to how our students and schools are performing.

Ensuring quality education for our citizens is one of the most important challenges facing our state. Giving up the fight is not an option, and declining performance scores should be a cautionary sign that disturbs us enough to renew our focus and effort.

(Brigitte Nieland, Council Director for LABI’s Education Council, contributed to this column.)