NEW ORLEANS — Inside Jefferson Parish public school classrooms, school leaders say there’s been a milestone.
“Achieving this just says a lot to what we’re doing right now. It says a lot to our kids, our families,” said chief academic officer Laura Roussel.
Roussel says the district’s 3.8 increase in its school performance score has taken the district from a “C” to a “B.”
“Jefferson Parish Schools have not reached a ‘B’ status in nine years,” said Roussel.
Every year the state grades districts and individual schools, mostly based on student test scores. Graduation rates are also considered. The rating for Jefferson Parish puts the district as one of the top 10 in the state for growth.
“It says what you’re doing is working, keep doing it, keep striving for excellence,” said Roussel.
One thing the district has been doing is a new focus, post-pandemic.
“We immediately started really becoming very student-centered, looking at our student baseline data and seeing what do our students know, what do our students need,” said Roussel.
In Orleans Parish, there’s also reason to celebrate.
“To me, this shows we have a strong system,” said Orleans Parish School Board President Katherine Baudouin.
The New Orleans Public School District is the fifth most improved district in the state. A four-point gain maintained its ‘C’ status, one point away from a ‘B.’ School leaders say it’s the largest increase the district has ever seen.
“I’m hopeful this will show throughout our community in New Orleans. A strong public education system really is meaningful for a strong city,” said Baudouin.
These improvements are part of a statewide trend, which has seen improvements the last several years now, but that trend may not continue when a new rating system takes effect.
That’ll happen in 2026. The state board of elementary and secondary education approved the tougher standards earlier this year.
“We know that once the expeditions or the new standards come into play we may see a little bit of a regression. We’re expecting that,” said Roussel.
Roussel says JP schools are already preparing for changes. NOLA public schools are too, and focusing on improvements.
“As much as we celebrate the amazing growth and work that’s being done, we also know that we continue on our continuous improvement journey,” said NOLA Public School Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams.
St. Tammany Parish, the third largest district, maintained its "B" rating with a three-point increase. Franklin Parish was the most improved district with a 4.6 increase. To see how your district and individual schools ranked click here.
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