Tri-parishes have 10 ‘A’ schools, 6 ‘D’ and no ‘F’s’

Each Tri-parish area public school district saw its performance score rise by a modest amount, and all three were designated “B” grades on the state Department of Education’s scale, according to data released last week.

Terrebonne Parish School District’s score jumped by 2.8 percent to 107.5, elevating it from a C in 2012. Lafourche topped the local districts with a 111.9 score (up 4.3 percent), and St. Mary scored 107.5 (2.2 percent). All three districts are ranked among the state’s top-20 highest scorers.

“It’s a combination of hardworking students, parents who are supportive of education and teachers dedicated to their kids,” Terrebonne Superintendent Phillip Martin said. “We’re very proud of (our statewide ranking, which is 18th), not satisfied with that.”

In 2008, Lafourche, St. Mary and Terrebonne district-wide scores were 87.8, 86.4 and 84.4, respectively, meaning the districts have sustained growths of 27 percent, 24 percent and 27 percent over the past five years.

“Our annual increases in performance can be directly linked to the district’s steadfast commitment and ongoing investments in meeting the academic needs of St. Mary’s students as exhibited by all segments of instructional personnel,” said Don Aguillard, St. Mary superintendent of schools, in a printed statement.

For year-to-year comparison purposes, the scores noted above are based on a 200-point system. The state introduced this year a 150-point system, which scores Lafourche at 94.3, St. Mary at 90.5 and Terrebonne at 90.9.

District Performance Scores are the accumulation of School Performance Scores, derived primarily from LEAP and iLEAP testing, end-of-course exams, dropout rates and graduation rates.

Thirteen percent of the state’s school districts received an “A” grade; 39 percent received a B. Seventy-one percent of the state’s students scored at basic or above in English language arts and math, a record high, and graduation rates are at an all-time high, the department of education said.

But not all the figures are positive. Twenty-eight percent of Louisiana scores are at or below a D, an equal share to those who scored a C. Three percent of the state’s districts received a failing grade, and 13 percent scored at D level.

No traditional school in the Tri-parish area received an F, though six schools each in St. Mary and Terrebonne received Ds.

Ten local schools were awarded A grades:

– Lockport Lower Elementary

– Lockport Upper Elementary

– Sixth Ward Middle

– Berwick Elementary

– Berwick Junior High

– Berwick High

– Bourg Elementary

– Broadmoor Elementary

– Mulberry Elementary

– Oakshire Elementary

Mulberry Elementary, with a 107.4 SPS, is the highest-scoring school in the Tri-parish area.

Berwick High was the highest-scoring secondary school, with a 104.8 score. It is the only area high school to receive the top letter grade.

South Lafourche High’s SPS is 99.5, good for the second highest high school and a half-point away below the threshold for an A.

Other high schools scored as follows:

– Central Lafourche High: 86.2

– Thibodaux High: 87.8

– Centerville High: 81.5

– Franklin Senior High: 66.7

– Morgan City High: 85

– Patterson High: 78.7

– W. St. Mary High: 61.9

– H.L. Bourgeois High: 82.8

– Ellender Memorial High: 67

– South Terrebonne High: 81.5

– Terrebonne High: 86.8

The schools graded at a D are:

– Franklin Junior High (St. Mary)

– Franklin Senior High (St. Mary)

– LaGrange Elementary (St. Mary)

– J.A. Hernandez Elementary (St. Mary)

– Raintree Elementary (St. Mary)

– West St. Mary High (St. Mary)

– East Houma Elementary (Terrebonne)

– Ellender Memorial High (Terrebonne)

– Gibson Elementary (Terrebonne)

– Grand Caillou Elementary (Terrebonne)

– Legion Park Middle (Terrebonne)

– Village East Elementary (Terrebonne)

The Terrebonne School District will couple the performance scores with metrics from the state’s new four-tier teacher evaluation model to help determine future assignments, Martin said. This could lead to transferring Highly Effective teachers to struggling schools, though that often takes financial encouragement, he added.

“We’re looking to encourage Highly Effective teachers (to move to D-level schools),” he said. “We’ve already done some of that. Resources is always a constant dilemma for Terrebonne Parish. Even though we rank 18th (in DPS) as a school district, our teacher pay is 47th. That’s a huge disconnect, to me.”