Most St. Charles schools at or beyond state goals

Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 21, 2000

LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / October 21, 2000

LULING – Most St. Charles Parish public schools are at or beyond stateexpectations for performance improvements, halfway though the Louisiana Accountability Program, state and local education officials said.

What’s more, six schools have already exceeded their two-year expectations, including all three listed last year as Below Average.

Full “mid-term report cards” will be mailed to parents on Nov. 6. However,”unofficial” results are now available on the Louisiana Department of Education’s website and will soon be on the St. Charles Public Schoolswebsite.

Rachel Allemand, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, reported, “Some schools are already well into the future, as far as expectations.”She cautioned, though, that no one is celebrating yet, as no re-assignment of school performance labels will be done until the “final grade” is released next fall.

With the state average graded at 77.3 points, which is based 60 percent onLEAP results, 30 percent on Iowa Test of Basic Skills results and 10 percent on attendance, the results for St. Charles Parish’s elementary schools, andfor the state as a whole, were encouraging, according to Allemand.

In middle schools, the grades were based on the same percentages for LEAP and Iowa results, with 5 percent on attendance and 5 percent on dropout rate.

During 1998-1999, School Performance Labels were assigned to schools as follows: School of Academic Excellence, 150.0 points or above; School ofAcademic Distinction, 125.0-149.9 points; School of Academic Achievement,100.0 to 124.9 points; Academically Above Average, 69.4 to 99.9 points;Academically Below Average, 30.1 to 69.3 points; and AcademicallyUnacceptable School, 30.0 points and below.The 10-year goal of the program is that every school ranks at 100.0 pointsor above.

No St. Charles schools were listed as Academically Unacceptable in 1998-1999. Shown here are the progress made with last year’s points, this year’spoints and the target for next year.

Below Average – Carver Elementary, Eual Landry Middle and Luling Elementary.

Carver went from 63.5 points to 79.1 (target 70.5 points), Landry wentfrom 69.3 to 76.8 (target 76.1 points), and Luling went from 63.5 to 79.1(target 70.5 points), with all three schools unofficially jumping to AboveAverage ranking and already ahead of their two-year expectations.

Above Average – Allemands Elementary, Norco 4-6 Elementary, Albert Cammon Middle, St. Rose Primary, R.J. Vial Elementary and Norco K-3Elementary.

Allemands went from 83.0 to 80.1 (target 88.0 points), Norco 4-6 wentfrom 84.0 to 93.1 (target 89.0), Cammon went from 75.6 to 82.5 (target80.6), St. Rose Primary went from 94.4 to 88.1 (target 99.4). R.J. Vial wentfrom 83.0 to 80.1 (target 88.0) and Norco K-3 went from 89.5 to 98.9(target 94.5).Schools of Academic Achievement – Lakewood Elementary, J.B. MartinMiddle, Mimosa Park Elementary, A.A. Songy Kindergarten, Harry HurstMiddle, New Sarpy Elementary, Ethel Schoeffner Elementary and New Sarpy Kindergarten – the third-highest ranking. None scored higher in the parishthat year.

Lakewood went from 115.0 to 117.6 (target 120.0 points), J.B. Martin wentfrom 107.6 to 110.8 (target 112.6), Mimosa Park went from 118.2 to 116.8(target 123.2), A.A. Songy went from 116.2 to 116.8 (target 123.2), Hurstwent from 102.5 to 102.3 (target 107.5), New Sarpy Elementary went from115.6 to 113.4 (target 120.6), Schoeffner went from 110.6 to 115.2(target 115.6) and New Sarpy Kindergarten went from 115.6 to 113.4(target 120.6).”Our schools developed their school improvement programs, based on those test results,” commented Felecia Gomez, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Schools and Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.

All schools remained unofficially in the same ranking as before, but reassignment will not come until after next year’s results.

The previous state average was 69.4 points, this year’s being 77.3. “It’s liketrying to hit a moving target,” commented Allemand, who added the system is “extremely pleased,” especially with Carver, Landry and Luling.

State Superintendent of Schools Cecil Picard commented that many schools made two years of growth in one year, but cautioned parents not to expect the same jump this time next year.

Picard did commend those schools with marked improvement, as well as students for trying harder, parents and teachers for working with them more intensely and communities for being more supportive.

“While we are pleased with the gains made in this first year, but this year’s gains were inordinately high because for the first time, fourth and eighth- graders took a high-stakes LEAP 21 test,” Picard added.

Statewide, 53 schools were ranked at Unacceptable. Of these, 28 increasedby more than five points, 19 schools improved by up to five points, five schools declined by up to five points and one school declined by more than five points.

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