Evaluating struggles and success

State labels some schools in Calcasieu as needing intervention

<div class="Content">

<span style="font-weight: bold;">Editor’s note:</span> This is the second story on the student performance scores released by the Louisiana Department of Education .

<p class="indent">This week’s data release from the Louisiana Department of Education provided districts, parents and students with new information on the state of local schools.

<p class="indent">The department formally recognized several new categories of student performance, including yearly progress and specific subgroup performance.

<p class="indent">State Superintendent John White said during a teleconference Thursday that overall performance is no longer the only factor being used to measure Louisiana schools. Individual elements play more of a role in the data provided to schools, offering more targeted support for specific student populations.

<p class="indent">“The way that we evaluate success and struggles has changed,” he said. “This is a more nuanced or comprehensive view of evaluating schools than ever before and it’s just one phase in a process of improvement.”

<p class="indent">Statewide, 502 schools were labeled as needing “Comprehensive or Urgent Intervention Required.” Comprehensive intervention schools have received a D or F for three years and/or have less than a 67 percent graduation rate in the most recent year. Districts are required to submit school improvement plans to the state by February.

<p class="indent">The 13 Calcasieu Parish “R3 Zone” schools are listed as needing comprehensive intervention. Oak Park Elementary School will be added to the list this year to receive necessary support, said Tommy Campbell, Calcasieu Parish School Board chief academic officer.

<p class="indent">Though Washington-Marion Magnet and LaGrange High School scored a C this year, they will need to have continued success before the state will release them from the comprehensive intervention list, he said.

<p class="indent">Campbell and Zone Director Marcus Jackson said many of the comprehensive intervention schools have made significant improvements over the year.

<p class="indent">“As I look at the district Zone School’s performance summary, I’m oozing with optimism,” Jackson said. “Out of the 13 (R3) Zone schools, both high schools have received a grade a of C, five schools are within 10 points or less from a C, and four schools are 15 points away from a C.”

<p class="indent">Schools are also graded according to their yearly improvements. Of the R3 Zone schools, Ray D. Molo Middle earned a progress A, 11 schools earned a B and one received a C.

<p class="indent">“With the plan that’s in place, the support from the district office and the leaders and teachers at the zone schools, it won’t be long before these schools are out of this status which will place the district in an A status,” Jackson said.

<p class="indent">Lake Charles College Prep was labeled as “Comprehensive Improvement Required” because hasn’t been open long enough to utilize all four categories of data for its score. Unlike its CPSB counterparts, its score did not include its graduation rate or strength of diploma, which lags a year in the score, according to Sabrah Kingham, director of education.

<p class="indent">Despite the missing data, the school grew 7.5 points in its school performance score and earned a B in its progress. LCCP’s leadership will know in the next two weeks if the charter renewal will be granted, Kingham said.

<p class="indent">“We’ve worked very closely with the LDOE in ensuring that we are meeting all of the compliance requirements and standards for our charter renewal,” she said. “All indications were that we were going to do very well.”

<p class="indent">The new “Urgent Intervention Required” label identifies subgroups of students who performed at failing rates for two years in a row and/ or schools with out-of-school suspension rates that are more than double the national average for three years. Subgroups include students with disabilities, black, economically disadvantaged, Hispanic/Latino or English language learners.

<p class="indent">Twenty CPSB schools received this label. Eleven are not in the R3 Zone and are required to submit plans to address their struggling populations of students with disabilities.

<p class="indent">“Historically this is one population that educators across the nation have struggled to reach,” Campbell said.

<p class="indent">The LDOE recognized Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy and 10 Calcasieu Parish schools as “Equity Honoree Schools.” The recognition, given for the first time this year, honors schools that demonstrated excellence in educating struggling populations.

For a complete list of individual school accountability ratings and data, visit <span class="text_link link_wrap type_url" data-link-type="URL" data-link-target="http://www.louisianaschools.com">www.louisianaschools.com</span>.

</div>””Desk(MGNOnline)

SportsPlus

Local News

WEATHER UPDATE: Severe storms possible overnight

Local News

Town hall meetings, candidate forums, debates planned ahead of March election

Crime

2/18: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff announces arrest list

Local News

Republicans consider cuts and work requirements for Medicaid, jeopardizing care for millions

McNeese Sports

Rain washes away Cowboys’ trip

Local News

Temple: Changes to La. insurance industry won’t be felt overnight

Local News

Dispute over Gulf name may be headed to court

McNeese Sports

Cowboys rally for big win

Crime

Hitman will continue to serve life sentence in Fourth of July murder

Local News

Delta Airlines flight flips over on landing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and 8 people are hurt

Local News

School Board looks to make up lost time due to snow days

Local News

Jennings councilman wants to change rules for hiring, firing attorney

life

Preserving history for future generations: Exhibit examinins role Black churches play in communities

Local News

Trump administration tries to bring back fired nuclear weapons workers in DOGE reversal

Crime

2/17: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff announces arrest list

life

Vote now for the People’s Choice Mardi Gras of SW La.

Local News

Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

McNeese Sports

Showdown in Hammond

McNeese Sports

Diamond roundup: Cowboys fall, Cowgirls win

Local News

US eggs prices hit a record high of $4.95 and are likely to keep climbing

Local News

Several Louisiana public university athletic programs — including McNeese — face financial deficits

Local News

Getting back on par: The long and short of the National Golf Club of Louisiana

Local News

NASA sending DeRidder students’ experiment into stratosphere

Local News

Shady Lane man found unresponsive has died