The State Department of Education announced its School Performance Scores for schools labeled Academically Unacceptable on Tuesday, July 26, those included in an Academic Watch List and/or those in Subgroup Failure. Two schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS) improved enough to be released from state or federal sanctions.  Capitol Middle School was one of only six schools statewide to exit Academically Unacceptable Schools (AUS) status based on an increase in its School Performance Score (SPS). In addition, Winbourne Elementary School is no longer on a list of schools that are Subgroup Component Failure.

Seven EBRPSS elementary schools, Belfair, Claiborne, Jefferson Terrace, La Belle Aire, Park Forest, Sharon Hills and White Hills, improved their School scores to above 75. Therefore, these schools are removed from the Academic Watch List.

“We can always do better, and we will continue to focus on improving teaching and learning,” said East Baton Rouge Parish School System Superintendent John Dilworth.  “At the same time, we are seeing an overall increase in our scores. In fact, since 2007, our District Performance Score has increased by 9.7 points, the System’s third consecutive annual increase. Our graduation rate increased to 60 percent for on-time graduates, and the drop-out rate decreased from 10.2 percent to 5 percent this past school year.”  

Six EBRPSS schools were added to the AUS status list this year.  That brings the total to eight schools in the School System labeled as AUS schools.  This slight increase from the previous year was due mainly to the increase in the state’s minimum SPS. Of the new EBRPSS schools identified as AUS 1 (in a first year of AUS status), all but one has a SPS of 60 or above with three schools having a SPS above 64.

Under new guidelines approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and implemented by the State Department of Education this year, a school receives an AUS label if its Baseline School Performance Score is below 65.  The cut-off score has been 60 since 2005.  The five-point increase this year will be followed by a ten-point increase next year. 

In addition, schools with an SPS between 65 and 74.9 are placed on an Academic Watch List. At this time, there are no sanctions associated with this label.