BR area schools’ scores improve, yet 35 earn Fs

by Charles Lussier

Advocate staff writer

August 03, 2012

5 Comments

Thirty-five schools in the greater Baton Rouge area failed to meet the tougher minimum academic standards for Louisiana and have consequently earned F grades.

A year ago, if those standards were in effect, 54 schools would have earned F grades.

A total of 15 greater Baton Rouge area schools managed to improve enough over the past year to avoid an F.

When the first letter grades came out last year, a Louisiana public school needed a school performance score of less than 65 to earn an F.

This year, to escape an F, a public school needed a school score of at least 75 out of a possible 200. The scores are primarily based on standardized test scores as well as attendance, graduation rates and other factors.

The Louisiana Department of Education quietly began to release this preliminary school performance score to schools in the state it thinks will earn an F. The state plans to release final scores for all schools in October, including those earnings A, B, C or D.

Nine of the schools avoiding Fs are operated by the East Baton Rouge Parish school system: Highland, LaBelle Aire, Polk, Progress, Scotlandville and University Terrace elementaries, and Broadmoor, Northeast and Tara high schools.

Overall, East Baton Rouge Parish went from having 29 to 20 F-ranked schools, still by far the most in the area. Four of its 20 F schools are alternative schools that cater to students with disciplinary or instructional problems.

“I’m not saying some of these schools can’t do better, but every indicator we’ve seen this year has seen good growth,” said Lizabeth Frischhertz, chief accountability officer for the school system.

Two East Baton Rouge Parish schools made the F list for the first time, the only schools in the area to do so.

Claiborne Elementary School slipped back after past improvement. It’s a school of almost 800 students. Its capacity more than doubled last fall after the school was rebuilt. It took in most of the students from nearby Brookstown Elementary, which closed.

The old Brookstown campus became home for the other new F school in Baton Rouge, the Career Academy. This career-oriented charter school, spearheaded by the nonprofit Louisiana Resource Center for Educators, finished its first year with a school performance score of 52.6. It had only 176 students last year in grades nine and 10, and is growing a grade level at a time.

Another Baton Rouge school that improved out of F status is a small high school, Madison Preparatory Academy, that is a spinoff of the more established Community School for Apprenticeship Learning.

Two Iberville Parish schools in danger of earning Fs, Plaquemine and White Castle high schools, also escaped the undesirable label.

Baker managed to get two of its five schools above the F threshold, Park Ridge Elementary and Baker High.

One of the Ascension Parish schools in trouble, Lowery Intermediate, also made the leap out of potential F status.

The state-run Recovery School District has calculated school performance scores for only three of the nine schools it runs or oversees in the greater Baton Rouge area and all three earned Fs this year: Capitol High, Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter and St. Helena Central Middle schools.

Kenilworth, a charter school, did the best of the three with a score of 71.9, improving substantially over its performance a year ago, but failing to lose its F label.

Capitol High and St. Helena Middle were closed and reopened in summer 2011 and did not get scores for that year. Both schools are being run by RSD instead of a private management group.

The six RSD schools in the Baton Rouge area that the state is not releasing school performance scores for this year were similarly closed and reopened. They will be run by RSD this fall as well. All have been low performing schools for years.

The schools are Dalton and Lanier elementary schools, Crestworth, Glen Oaks and Prescott middle schools, and Pointe Coupee Central High School.

Istrouma High in Baton Rouge, a F school, was taken over by the state this summer and no score was released for it. Its takeover also prompted the East Baton Rouge school system to close another F school, EBR Lab Academy, that occupied space on the Istrouma campus.

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Comments (5)


1) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 01/08/2012

Oh my goodness, I cannot think of why my post was removed... I thanked The Advocate for issuing a correction on the headline for this article, said headline being incorrect, and said headline not having been written by the reporter, Charles Lussier. I also pointed out why such headlines do a disservice to the community, in part because they help create stereotypes based on false information. such as what happened when Will Sentell wrote a piece about statements that his article claimed were made by John White about the many "failing schools" in EBR. The article made many references to the failing schools, and a very large number, and I called the Department of Education and asked where they had gotten the information about so many failing schools in the EBR public schools. Apparently the young women in the communications office was not even aware that Baker schools, Louisiana Department of Education schools, and RSD schools along with Baker, for example, all had "failing" schools in the pariosh. I cannot believe that WIll Sentell failed to know the distinction, but his article failed to make any such distinctions. Did I accidently let a word slip in that rhymes with "dam?" If so, I apologize.... frustration with The Advocate must be getting to me.

2) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 01/08/2012

****Comment Removed for Violation of Terms of Use****

3) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 31/07/2012

redstickhornet, the "reformers" who pushed through the bills, including the one dealing with vouchers, specifically rejected any attempts to prioritize students in ways that would have made sense, and I will suggest exactly why this was done. First, it would have made sense IF YOUR INTENTION WAS TO ACTUALLY HELP LOW INCOME STUDENTS WHO WERE FAILING to set up vouchers to do exactly that. Simple, right? Students who qualify for free or reduced meal prices and who are currently either failing or in a school receiving an "F" would obviously be first priority. Right? Well, the true intentions of the vouchers were 1) to provide funding for private and parochial schools that were in danger of closing, 2) Defund local public schools systems in order to further privatize education in Louisiana and 3) provide funding for students whose parents simply did not want them in classes with students in their communities who were not the "advantaged" students. Hence it was necessary to 1) not prioritize either "F" schools or students who were failing, 2) not limit the program to "F" schools at all, but to include both "D" and "C" schools as well, and 3) to ensure that we get a pool of applicants acceptable to the parochial and private schools (and remember, very, very few seats are going to students at elite or prestigious schools) it was necessary to well above the income threshholds of free-or reduced price limits, but to go to 250% of the poverty line. I won't get into the demographics of "D" and "F" schools vs. "C" schools, but you can find that info at educatorsforall dot org.

4) Comment by redstickhornet - 31/07/2012

I am wondering if the students in these schools are receiving top priority when it comes to opting out for a private school. One of the possible problems with creating a voucher "net" intended to target so many kids, the state voucher plan may not offer real opportunities to children in the greatest financial need.

5) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 31/07/2012

Some initial thoughts come to mind here as I look at this story. The first is that the headline, which is all many people read, should actually is actually incorrect, yet is consistent with what many of us have noticed is an obvious anti EBR bias we have come to expect from The Advocate. Yet another sign that this paper does not have the best interests of our community at heart. There are NOT 35 schools in Baton Rouge receiving an "F". Instead of accurately, IN THE HEADLINE identifying that the story is in reference to the entire Greater Baton Rouge area, they focus on Baton Rouge. Subtle difference? I don't think so. Avoidable easily, absolutely. But, on to substance. I note that many years agop, while sitting as a School Board Member (prior to being trounced in the last elections) I pointed out to the then head of Recovery School District Schools LaVonne Sheffield that the pattern of takeovers was clear. I pointed out (accurately) that the demographics of the elementary schools that were being considered for takeover by the state averaged 98% African- American and 98% qualifying for free or reduced meal prices. I asked, quite clearly, if she or the state was actively engaged in trying to uncover why that pattern was so powerful, and what they were doing to change it. Her response (and one that was parroted by a BESE Board Members and a prominent researcher from Baton Rouge) was "I couldn't disagree with you more! I hear you saying that African-Americans from low-income families can't learn." I did not say it then, and I am not saying it now. What I am pointing out is that these patterns are still not being examined by the state, by researchers at our universities, or by the "reformers." The reson I point this out is.... the elementary schools in Baton Rouge receiving a score of "F" have an average percent African-American of 99%, and an average of 99% qualifying for free or reduced meal prices. Again, I want to point out that I am NOT saying that African-American children cannot learn, or that children from low-income families cannot learn. I am, however, making a claim that there are underlying conditions in the homes, families and communities that are creating these incredibly powerful patterns. A lack of books in the home, moving from one school to another constantly as the family moves, too much watching of the television, poor nutrition and ill healtrh leading to attendance problems: all of these are known to have much stronger and negative effects on student achievement than ANY effects caused by schools or teachers. The average demographics of the schools that avoided the "F" label between last year and this year.... 86% African American and 97% qualifying for free or reduced meal prices. Why are we so afraid of engage in open and honest research about these patterns, and do something about them! By the way, the Charter Schools that were going to "fix" the problems of low-performing schools here in Baton Rouge? Not a chance. They are, on average for the same demographics... doing much worse than our EBR schools. In fact, those taken over by the state are doing atrocious! (Actually, they might be doing a fine job, I''m just saying "atrocious" because if the "reformers" apply the same standards to their charters, they have failed miserably! Finally, I wonder if anyone notices the sleight of hand by the state! By closing 6 of their schools, and reopening them, they avoid accountability for the absolute lowest performing schools and students, but you won't find the reformers asking that a clear picture be provided of ALL students in the Recovery School District. Perhaps since the reformers and the state appears to have no interest in open and honest discussions, perhaps a local group interested in honesty and integrity would explore having some real and open discussions of "reform" and require that all taking part actually study and research the FACTS, and leave their ideology parked in the parking lot! Might be an interesting discussion.... of course.... it might quickly become clear that we need MORE TRANSPARENCY from the reformers and those who control the data, in order to have intellectually honest discussions! ANy takers on sponsoring REAL discussion? I am willing and able to take part anytime, anywhere.