Louise Rodrigue
November 4, 2015
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
November 5, 2015
The Louisiana Department of Education released performance scores Thursday for high schools in the state, and two bayou schools received high marks.
The scores are based on the 2013-14 school year, with schools earning letter grades based on performance in five distinct categories. Thibodaux High School earned a B grade in 2015, while Terrebonne High earned an A.
Terrebonne Parish School District Superintendent Philip Martin said that Terrebonne’s high grade is a positive sign for the school and the district.
“The most significant thing of that is that number one, it means good things are happening to kids, and also it means that big people, teachers and administrators, are working very hard,” Martin said.
Jo Ann Matthews, superintendent for the Lafourche Parish School District, said in a press release that the score results stem from a continual process of challenging students.
“We continue to show growth and continue to improve instruction as our administrators and staff work diligently to implement new and stringent state measures for grading our schools,” Matthews said.
Terrebonne High and Thibodaux High School were the only two Bayou Region schools listed in the report. The two high schools in Lafourche and four in Terrebonne not listed are due to grade configuration. Schools that have only grades 9-12 are categorized as high schools, while those high schools featuring grades below ninth are called “combination schools,” according to State Superintendent of Education John White. The combination school scores will be released with the rest of elementary and middle school scores in December, White said.
The high school grades are based on five components, according to the Louisiana Department of Education. Those components include performance on end-of-course exams, ACT scores, graduation rate index, diploma strength index and progress with previously struggling students.
Across the state, Louisiana saw a huge leap in its number of “A” schools, with its 2014-15 amount of 40 more than doubling the previous year’s total of 17 schools. According to the Department of Education’s Website, Terrebonne High School improved in four out of the five grading criteria, only declining in graduation rate. THS earned 9.2 out of a 10 possible points for making progress with academically struggling students.
The threshold to reach an “A” grade is 100 points, according to Martin. Terrebonne High School scored 100.1 points.
“You know, when you make an A,’ you make an A,”‘ Martin said.
Thibodaux High’s end-of-course numbers declined but were still above state levels. Its rate of students earning at least an 18 on the ACT improved. The number of students at Thibodaux High earning at least a 3 on AP tests held steady. Its four-year graduation rate also improved and was above state levels.
Thibodaux High School did not receive any points for its progress with academically struggling students. The school still improved its score from 2013-14 and finished with 87.8 points, good for another “B” grade.
Bayou middle school PARCC scores
While the state has not released the full grades for elementary and middle schools yet, it did release standardized test scores for those schools. The state released data for each school district’s performance on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) testing that third through eighth graders take. Both Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes compared favorably to state numbers.
Lafourche and Terrebonne both matched or outperformed state proficiency averages in most of the 12 total PARCC categories across the six grades taking tests. Both parishes had 64 percent proficiency in third grade math, just below the state’s 67 percent mark. Terrebonne was also behind the state in fifth and eighth grade math scores. However, in all the remaining categories the two parishes were either equal to or better than the state in proficiency.
Martin said that the test results reveal Terrebonne Parish students’ abilities going forward.
“It does prove one thing: our kids in Terrebonne Parish did better than most of the kids in the state on PARCC. And I’ve been saying our kids can do this. Our kids can do this,” Martin said.
Last year’s recently released results and the numbers from this school year will make up a baseline for school performance going forward. While he acknowledged his district’s successes, Martin noted that his department would not rest on its laurels.
“Is every area
Martin said that these baseline years would be important to challenging future students across all grades. According to him, a growth mindset is essential to keep the district moving forward.
“Anytime a school district, and this includes superintendents down to classroom teachers, thinks they can get no better, that’s the day you start getting worse,” Martin said.
Philip Martin, superintendent of the TPSD, said that his district’s high performance on Common Core evaluations will help challenge future students.
The Louisiana Department of Education released these “report cards” for Terrebonne High School and Thibodaux High School last week. The department will release the rest of the two parish’s high school report cards in December.
