According to school performance scores released August 28 by the State Department of Education, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS) was one of only two districts statewide to have the most schools removed from the state Academically Unacceptable Schools (AUS) status.
Six 2008-2009 EBRPSS schools improved their performance so much, they were taken out of AUS status. Claiborne Elementary, Greenville Elementary, Lanier Elementary, Scotlandville Elementary, Kenilworth Middle and Robert E. Lee High schools were removed from AUS status.
The 2008-2009 performance scores show nothing but improvement in educational growth. In fact, 93 percent of these schools showed tremendous improvement, and no additional EBRPSS schools were placed on the AUS status list.
Baseline school performance scores are comprised of: student assessment scores, attendance rate, drop-out rate and graduation rate.
“I am so pleased our results reflect the hard work and tenacity of the EBRPSS students, teachers and ancillary staff and administrators,” said Liz Frischhertz, EBRPSS chief officer for Accountability, Assessment & Evaluation. “Between hurricanes and state scrutiny, 2008-2009 was a tough year, but we rose above it all. This is quite a leap forward since just six years ago more than 33 of our schools were labeled AUS by the State Department of Education.”
The only school currently considered at AUS2 status, Broadmoor Middle School, was just one point away from exiting that status. It is expected this school will exit AUS status next year.
“Student achievement in our district is on the rise in national, state and district assessments,” said EBRPSS Superintendent John Dilworth. “ACT scores are at a five-year high, 28 of 30 GEE/LEAP/iLEAP proficiency rates increased and end-of-course Algebra tests show growth. In addition, district-level benchmark assessments demonstrate positive trends, and now we have a vast improvement in AUS performance scores. We can always do better, but we are on the right track to student learning in this School System.”
