NEW ORLEANS (AP) – More of Louisiana’s publicly funded early childhood education programs provided care and instruction last school year that promotes kindergarten readiness, state education officials said Thursday as they rolled out the latest data aimed at demonstrating how well schools and pre-school programs are preparing children for their next level of education.
They said 77 percent of the programs provided such care, a 7 percentage point increase over the previous year.
The data included annual performance scores – numbers and letter grades – for school districts and individual schools. The state’s overall score for the 2017-2018 school year was 76.1. It’s down from previous years. But officials note that’s because there is a new scoring formula as the state adopts increasingly higher standards. It would have been a 93 – an increase over previous years – under the old formula.
Four of Louisiana’s 70 school districts received an A in the figures released Thursday; 35 districts earned a B; 25 a C. Four districts had a D and two, an F.
In a telephone news conference, Superintendent of Education John White said the rollout reflects changes the state has made to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Changes include the requirement, being phased in, that the average student at a school demonstrate mastery of content before the school can receive an A. Parents and others can find out how a school fared by using a new online tool dubbed the Louisiana School Finder. The school finder also includes information on each school’s course offerings and extracurricular activities.
White pointed to signs of continued progress in Louisiana public education, some of which had been reported earlier. A four-year state graduation rate of 78.2 percent in 2017 was the highest in the state’s history. Forty-eight percent of 2017 graduates earned college credit or career credentials valued in high-wage industries, up from 43 percent the year before. And ACT scores indicating college readiness are up 40 percent since 2012.
White said student performance in English and math was steady last year, but the percentage demonstrating mastery in social studies increased.
School performance scores are based on student performance on standardized tests and on student improvement over a year. Other elements of the scores include dropout and on-time graduation rates, ACT scores, and whether students are taking college-level classes, according to the department.
Evaluation of government-funded early childhood education – in early childhood centers, Head Start programs and pre-kindergarten sites – was based on 14,000 observations at nearly 5,300 classrooms, according to an Education Department release. Factors in early childhood education evaluation included a classroom’s emotional environment, classroom organization and instructional support. While improvement was measurable, the department said many children are still not getting proper preparation for kindergarten. And access is uneven. The department said most economically disadvantaged 4-year-olds are served but less than 10 percent of those 2 years old or under are served.
——-
Below are scores from parishes in Acadiana:
Lafayette Parish
Lafayette saw a gain of 2.1 points, posting a District Performance Score (DPS) of 78.6 which is considered a “B” on the state’s performance scale. The School Districts Progress Index Score, which measures student performance improvements in comparison to similar students across the state was 90, which is considered an “A.”
Calcasieu Parish
The Calcasieu Parish School District received an overall performance score of 79.5 categorizing them as a “B” district for the 2017-2018 school year.
Vermilion Parish
Vermilion is one of four districts in the state to earn an “A” rating and a District Performance Score of 90.2. The score places Vermilion fourth in the state.
St. Landry Parish
St. Landry Parish earned a “C” rating this year with a score of 68 under the new rating system.
The parish earned a “C” rating with a score of 71.7 in the 2016-2017 school year under the old rating system. Under that same rating system, St. Landry would have earned a “B” score with a total score of 85 for 2017-2108 school year.
St. Landry School board says that under the old rating system the growth is the highest in the state with an increase of 13.3 points.
Acadia Parish
The Acadia Parish School District received an overall performance score of 79.5 categorizing them as a “B” district for the 2017-2018 school year.
St. Martin Parish
The St. Martin Parish School District received an overall performance score of 75.2 categorizing them as a “B” district for the 2017-2018 school year.
Evangeline Parish
The Evangeline Parish School District received an overall performance score of 76.4 categorizing them as a “B” district for the 2017-2018 school year.
Jeff Davis Parish
The Jeff Davis Parish School District received an overall performance score of 83.0 categorizing them as a “B” district for the 2017-2018 school year.
Iberia Parish
The Iberia Parish School District received an overall performance score of 79.8 categorizing them as a “B” district for the 2017-2018 school year.
St. Mary Parish
The St. Mary Parish School District received an overall performance score of 81.9 categorizing them as a “B” district for the 2017-2018 school year.
Vermilion Parish Superintendent, Jerome Puyau, said he is proud of everyone in the district.
“Instead of worrying, we challenged. We challenged our leaders and they challenged our teachers, and our teachers challenged our students. Expectations still were high but our students achieved it. And that it why Vermilion Parish is one of only four districts in Louisiana to have an ‘A’ ranking,” Puyau said.
St.Landry Parish Superintendent, Patrick Jenkins, said he is happy to see the growth everyone has been working toward.
“We know that the state has established a new baseline with a new scoring system and we are at a C, a 68 C there. However, you can’t take away from the growth that our teachers, parents, and students have put into achieving that B in St. Landry Parish on the old scale,” Jenkins said.
For a look at other parishes in the state and their scoresclick here.
