Collective Scores for New Orleans Schools Improve Dramatically Over Four-Year Period
On Tuesday, Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released its report of the 2009 School Performance Scores (SPS), and the report shows the Recovery School District is improving school performance in New Orleans schools.
Prior to being transferred to the RSD, most schools were labeled Academically Unacceptable for at least four consecutive years, meaning they failed to meet the minimum score of a 60 SPS. Of the 60 RSD schools that received scores yesterday in the LDOE report, 26 have raised their scores to a 60 or higher. Additionally, the District Performance Score (DPS) improved from 51.4 to 54.0 from 2008 to 2009.
The strong performance of RSD charter schools is particularly noteworthy. Three-quarters of the District’s charter schools received scores above 60, giving them a rating of one-star or above.
The RSD employs a number of strategies to turn around struggling schools, and a key strategy is charter schools. The District is supporting both charter conversions for struggling schools and charter conversions for schools that are improving.
For public schools in Orleans Parish, overall improvement since 2005 has been significant. An analysis shows that if there were still a single school district in Orleans Parish, the District Performance Score would be 70.6 for Orleans Parish, an increase of 13.7 points compared to the 2005 District Performance score of 56.9.
Despite the fact that the SPS of some RSD schools remains below the mark of 60, an analysis of individual school Assessment Index scores (a measure of test scores) shows notable academic improvement. In fact, thirteen traditional RSD charters showed double digit gains in their Assessment Indices from last year to this year.
These gains came despite continual student enrollment in the District’s traditional schools in New Orleans and a student population that is highly mobile. About two-thirds of new students entering RSD schools are two or more years below grade level.
While last year’s impressive test score improvements were included in this year’s School Performance Scores, attendance data used to calculate the scores worked to the District’s disadvantage. Obtaining accurate attendance data has been a challenge due to high student mobility, the continued enrollment of new students throughout the year, and a previously unreliable student information system. The District may have lost five points at each school because of these issues.
The RSD is taking progressive measures to improve academic opportunities for students, including phasing out three underperforming high schools in favor of stronger models, converting four other struggling schools to charter schools, and reconstituting four schools as part of the District’s overall high school redesign efforts.
“The purpose of the RSD is to allow the Louisiana Department of Education the flexibility to make school changes to improve the academic performance of schools,” said RSD Superintendent Paul Vallas.
“We’re pleased with the progress that our charter schools have made and are encouraged by the growth we’ve seen in our traditional schools. We will continue to make the changes necessary to ensure that all of our schools, especially those that are struggling, will be academically successful."
2009 AIs Results
