Today, the Louisiana Department of Education released 2008 School Performance Scores (SPS) for 1,263 public schools across the state. This year marks a decade since the state officially issued and reported state, district and school SPS and the scores released today indicate Louisiana's public schools are continuing to improve based on their overall scores as well as specific indicators that are measured and reported annually. The scores also indicate Louisiana advanced substantially in efforts to eliminate the achievement gaps between races and socio-economic levels.
For the 1998-1999 school year, the first year the Accountability System was implemented, only 110 or 9 percent of the 1,118 schools receiving a Baseline SPS that year scored above 100. Today, 301 schools or 23 percent of the 1,263 schools receiving baseline scores this year reached the 100 mark. Additionally, in 1999, 388 or 32.7 percent of the state's schools received an SPS below 60. Today, that number has been reduced to 90 schools or 7.1 percent.
The marked differences between student performance for black, white ! and Econ omically Disadvantaged students have narrowed in both English and Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. For example, the achievement gap between black and white students narrowed from 33.7 in 1999 to 25.1 in 2008 when comparing the percentage of students scoring Basic or above on high stakes tests. The greatest improvement came in the area of Mathematics and how Economically Disadvantaged students scored compared to other students. In 1999, the gap represented a 13.2 percent difference. Today that number has dropped to 8.9, representing a 32 percent improvement.
"What this tells us is that Louisiana's Accountability System is working, and the measurements are helping us to determine our strengths and weaknesses at the state, district and school level," said State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek. "The data tells the truth - good and bad. It gives us an opportunity to take a hard look at our weak spots and correct our practices. It also guides us by revealing what works, providing us with intellectual capital to improve the quality of education we can provide to each and every child in classrooms across our state."
In terms of the improvement from last year to this year, the state made notable gains in the percentage of schools that showed improvement based on their 2007 Baseline SPS and their 2008 Growth SPS. In 2007, less than 49 percent or 555 of the 1,118 schools receiving scores demonstrated Growth compared to 57.6 percent or 639 of the 1,110 schools receiving scores in 2008.
There was notable improvement in the number of schools meeting their 2008 Growth Targets. Twenty-five percent or 281 of the 1,110 schools that were assigned a 2008 Growth Target met their goal. Growth Targets are derived by assigning each school a score that represents the amount of progress it must make every year to reach the state's 2014 goal of 120. Last year, 267 or 23.8 percent of the 1,118 schools improved enough to reach their Grow! th Targe ts.
"The release of these scores allows us to highlight our progress and pinpoint high-priority areas that require more emphasis and resources. The gains point to the talented and dedicated educators who are working so hard to advance teaching and learning across our state," said Linda Johnson, President of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). "We applaud those schools and districts that showed improvement, and we will reach out to provide added support to those schools that may have experienced setbacks this year."
Louisiana produced an overall Growth SPS of 87.2, a moderate 1.5 point improvement from the state's 2007 Baseline SPS of 85.7. While the gain fell short of the state's 2008 Growth Target of 90.6, earning it designation as Minimum Academic Growth, it represents a substantial improvement over last year when the state showed essentially no growth..
In fact, Louisiana's scores were almost flat in 2007, improving by only one tenth of one percent. There was a clear signal that in order to generate more growth, the state would need to increase the capacity of its teachers, schools and administrators. Some predicted the leveling off may even signal a decline the following year. But Department leaders expressed their intent a year ago - aggressive strategies, a more proactive approach and a supportive stance with districts to help them apply best practices to achieve systematic improvement. They said the gains reported today are an indication the state is continuing in the right direction, although they would wish for more.
Louisiana's K-8 schools fared better than its high schools this year, with State Baseline Scores of 87.4 and 84.5 respectively. The scores are based on different indicators which are weighted to calculate an overall score. K-8 scores include measurements for Attendance Index (5%), Non-dropout Index (5%) and Assessment Index (90%). Scores for 9-12 include Graduation In! dex (30% ) and Assessment Index (70%).
"Our analysis indicates that we made improvements in terms of every indicator with the exception of test scores for high school students and the attendance index for K-8 students where we lost less than a point in those categories," said Pastorek. "We showed a 6 percent improvement in our graduate points, a 10 percent gain in the dropout index for grades 7-8, and a gain of 1.6 percent in test scores for K-8. We improved, but we need to do more."
This was also the first year hurricane impacted schools received a Baseline SPS since they were designated Severe Impact schools after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Despite the fact that most of these schools showed an upward trend from 2007 to 2008 in terms of their assessment scores, Department leaders had predicted that the re-entry of these schools into the state's overall scores might impact the net gains for Louisiana in 2008.
Severe Impact schools receive a one year waiver from accountability decisions and do not receive school performance scores, growth labels, or performance labels for the year of the waiver. One year after the Severe Impact label is assigned, the school re-enters the accountability system as a new school. Although these schools received an Assessment Index for the 2006-2007 school year, which is based strictly on test scores, this is the first year since the storms for most of these schools to receive a SPS since two years of data are required for a Baseline SPS.
For the 151 schools labeled Severe Impact schools re-entering the accountability system as new schools this year, the Department derived the Baseline SPS by comparing two numbers. For most schools, 2006-2007 assessment, attendance and dropout data and the 2007-2008 assessment data were averaged. This average was compared to the average score of the school's 2007-2008 data and 2006-2007 attendance and dropout data. The higher of the two values became the school's ! 2008 Bas eline SPS. High schools were evaluated using only Assessment Indices as were the Recovery School District (non-charter) schools. Attendance and dropout data was not available for RSD for 2006-2007 due to the lack of a data collection system.
"The purpose of designating a school as Severe Impact is to recognize that temporary flux occurs after a tragedy," said Pastorek. "If these schools encountered the kind of chaos that leads to temporary fluctuations but then we see them rebound, we need to consider that in our analysis of their performance."
Of the 151 Severe Impact schools, 103 showed improvement in the Index Assessments (based strictly on test scores) from last year. .
"Of the 151 Severe Impact schools, almost 70 percent showed improvements from last year," continued Pastorek. "As families re-establish themselves and mobility becomes less of a factor in school communities, we anticipate their performance scores will continue to rise."
Below is a chart indicating the Performance Labels (stars) given to the 1,263 schools statewide who received a 2008 Baseline SPS. Louisiana's long-term goal is for all schools to be designated Four Stars or above by 2014. As a state, Louisiana's 2008 Baseline SPS of 86.3 earned it the label of Two Stars.
Performance Label
# Schools
5 Stars (140.0 and above)
10
4 Stars (120.0-139.9)
30
3 Stars (100.0-119.9)
261
2 Stars (80.0-99.9)
505
1 Star (60.0-79.9)
367
Academically Unacceptable
90
Approximately 7 percent, or 90, of Louisiana's public schools have been deemed Academically Unacceptable for receiving an SPS below 60. That's up from 70 schools or 6.3 percent from last year, but fewer than the 100 initially identified by the Department on August 1. Eight schools came off the list due to an adjustment that was made to the calculation of Severe Impact schools, and two schools were removed from the list due to closures.
In addition to the 90 schools labeled Academically Unacceptable, 188schools failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress AYP in one or more subjects or subgroup components in 2008.Nineteen schools are in School Improvement 1 (SI 1) and 2 (SI 2) and face sanctions for failing the subgroup component, even though they have School Performance Scores above 60.
Schools in SI1 have failed the subgroup component for two consecutive years in the same subject while schools in SI2 have failed the subgroup component in the same subject for three of the last four years. The schools in SI1 and SI2 include Crowley Middle School (Acadia Parish), Donaldsonville High School (Ascension Parish), Bunkie High School (Avoyelles Parish), Huntington High School (Caddo Parish), Ridgewood Middle School (Caddo Parish), Mansfield Middle School (DeSoto Parish), Broadmoor Senior High School (East Baton Rouge Parish), Northeast High School (East Baton Rouge Parish), Park Forest Middle School (East Baton Rouge), Monticello High School (East Carroll Parish), Jackson Middle School (East Feliciana Parish), Je! anerette Senior High School (Iberia Parish), Westgate High School (Iberia Parish), O. Comeaux High School (Lafayette Parish), East St. John High School (St. John the Baptist Parish), St. Martinville Junior High School (St. Martin Parish), West St. Mary High School (St. Mary Parish), West Side Middle School (Tangipahoa Parish), Oaklawn Junior High School (Terrebonne Parish), Carroll High School (City of Monroe) and Park Ridge Elementary School (City of Baker).
One hundred forty schools were given the Exemplary Growth Label for meeting their Growth Targets, growing in all subgroups, and not being designated as AUS or in Subgroup Component Failure (SCF). An additional 139 schools received Recognized Academic Growth Labels for meeting their Growth Targets regardless of subgroup growth or AUS/SCF status. These schools are eligible for financial rewards as well as flags recognizing their achievement.
Growth Label
# Schools
Exemplary Growth
140
Recognized Growth
139
Minimal Growth
356
No Growth
180
School in Decline
221
No Label Assigned*
66
Schools that fail to grow sufficiently enter Academic Assistance. For! 2008, 3 35 or 26.5 percent of the state's schools are in Academic Assistance. Academic Assistance includes six levels of intervention, with remedies such as scholastic audits and District Assistance Teams.
District Performance Scores
District Performance Scores (DPS) were also released this morning with the Zachary Community School District earning the state's highest performance score, 112.6, and West Feliciana Parish ranking second with a score of 105.9. Rounding out the top five, in order from third to fifth, were St. Tammany Parish, 105.7; Vernon, 103.4; and Jefferson Davis Parish, 102.9.
Overall, 57 of the state's 70 school districts increased their DPS in 2008. Three districts saw a decline in their DPS and one district's score remained the same. Central Community School District did not receive a score this year because a DPS requires two years of data and the district has only existed for one complete school year.
Additionally, eight districts received a DPS for the first time since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; they are Cameron Parish, Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Tammany Parish, City of Bogalusa and the Recovery School District.
The Orleans Parish schools are of particular interest due to the circumstances after the storms and the revolutionary approach that is being taken to make improvements in an area that consistently posted low scores even before the storms. In addition to looking at the separate DPS of the components that make up Orleans Parish, the Department also calculated an unofficial combined performance score for the RSD, Orleans Parish School District and Orleans Parish charter schools. That unofficial DPS is 66.4, a score about 10 points higher than the Orleans Parish DPS pre-Hurricane Katrina.
Like individual schools, districts are also given annual DPS labels, or "stars," indicating their level of per! formance . The "star" scale follows the same DPS range as the SPS labels.
The number of districts receiving a Three Star Label increased from five last year to nine this year. And the number of districts receiving a Two Star label increased from 33 last year to 41 this year. Two districts received the label "Academically Unacceptable" this year, down from three last year. One of those, the Recovery School District (RSD), consists of schools that were previously labeled Academically Unacceptable and subsequently taken over by the state. This is the first year the RSD has received a DPS.
"We're seeing improvement in the districts but the data shows we still lack districts performing in the Four Star and Five Star ranges. This is an area we must focus on by expanding initiatives like Ensuring Literacy and Numeracy for All, High School Redesign, and Career and Technical Education," Pastorek said. "While we are pleased with pockets of greatness in our districts, we strive to make all schools in all districts great, thus advancing the district's academic achievement and performance label. Taking a holistic approach to increasing academic achievement is the only way we will move from some Five Star schools in a few good districts to all Five Star schools in 70 excellent districts."
End-of-Course Testing
In addition to releasing school and district performance scores, the Department also released Algebra I End-of-Course (EOC) test results today. Students taking the exam in December 2007 and May 2008 had completed either Algebra I, Algebra I part 2, Integrated Mathematics I or Algebra I, Middle School.
Overall, 10 percent of students scored Excellent, 26 percent Good, 28 percent Fair and 35 percent Needs Improvement. The statewide average score was 686. The scale-score range for the test is 600 to 800. The range for Excellent is 739-800, Good 700-738, Fair 668-699 and Needs Improvement 600-667.
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< P>"This is our first year to publish results for End-of-Course testing in Algebra I, but it doesn't take years of data to tell us that 35 percent of our students scored in the Needs Improvement range, and we must take appropriate actions to improve our students' grasp of Algebra," Deputy Superintendent of Education Ollie Tyler said. "We've heard from higher education and business and industry experts that there are real and necessary applications for Algebra, whether students choose to go to college or directly into careers after high school graduation. Therefore, it is crucial for us to equip them with those required skills so that they can thrive throughout their lives."
Nine school districts had more than 50 percent of their students scoring in the Excellent and Good categories combined. Those districts are Assumption Parish, Lincoln Parish, Ouachita Parish, St. James Parish, West Carroll Parish, West Feliciana Parish, Winn Parish, Zachary Community and Central Community.
Eight districts had more than 50 percent of their students scoring Needs Improvement. Those districts are Claiborne Parish, East Carroll Parish, East Feliciana Parish, Madison Parish, St. Helena Parish, Tensas Parish, Union Parish and the Recovery School District.
Of the more than 47,900 students taking the test, about 4,200 were eighth graders. Their average score was 722, which is 37 points higher than the state average. Thirty-seven percent of these students scored Excellent, 40 percent Good, 14 percent Fair and 10 percent Needs Improvement.
End-of-Course testing was recommended by the High School Redesign Commission to ensure consistent and rigorous instruction and academic expectations throughout Louisiana high schools. The test measures the knowledge and skills a student should master at the completion of the course.
By ethnicity, the results showed 25 percent of white students scored Needs Improvement, and 50 percent of black stu! dents sc ored Needs Improvement. On the opposite end of the scale, 15 percent of white students scored Excellent and 4 percent of black students scored Excellent.
Results also indicate nearly equal performance by male and female students. The average female score was 686 (Fair) and the average male score was 685 (Fair). Males showed a higher percentage scoring Needs Improvement (37 percent versus 34 percent), but also had a higher percentage scoring Excellent (11 percent versus 10 percent).
"I am encouraged by the results showing our male and female students performed at about the same level. While we need to increase the scores for both genders, the results help to dispel the myth that girls do not perform as well in math and science as boys," Tyler said. "Our focus at the Department is to prepare all students, no matter their gender, race or socio-economic background, for future success. It should be instilled in all students that with a good education they can fulfill their dreams of becoming a doctor, engineer, lawyer, teacher, accountant, artist or any career imaginable."
The summary for End-of-Course testing is attached.
Detailed district- and school-level information can be found by clicking on the link below or by logging onto www.louisianaschools.net and clicking on "School Accountability Results."
