NOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE SHOWS IMPROVEMENT

The District School Performance Score improved and nearly four out of five NOLA Public Schools received a progress index score of "A" or "B".

(NEW ORLEANS – November 16, 2022) – Today, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released the School Performance Scores (SPS) for the 2021-2022 school year, revealing our first look at the work ahead for NOLA Public School's (NOLA-PS). 79 percent of NOLA Public Schools continued to receive a high letter grade for academic growth, of either "A" or "B", for the 2021-2022 school year. These accomplishments result in the school system maintaining a "C" letter grade for performance overall.

"Similar to other school districts across the nation, learning disruptions caused by the pandemic affected our scholars. We are holding steady and acknowledge there is much work to be done and progress to be made, but we are proud of our educators' hard work and dedication in ensuring our scholars remain on track to achieving academic success," said NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams. "It's also important to note that SPS scores don't tell our whole story. Our schools provide a culture of learning that enriches our students' educational journeys through art, music, sports, and culinary programs, as well as dual-enrollment classes with local universities, career and technical education opportunities, and exemplary elementary literacy programs that are providing solid foundations for our scholars to achieve social, emotional, and academic success."

The 2021-2022 SPS results shared by the LDOE summarize the cumulative impact of our local schools, specifically showing:
 

●Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the District's overall score slightly decreased. NOLA Public Schools saw a small decrease in its District Performance Score (DPS) of 1.2 points from 2019, and maintained its overall letter grade of "C".

●Several district schools demonstrated growth during the pandemic.Fourteen schools showed an overall improvement in their SPS since 2019, including three schools in the ReNEW Charter Management Organization.

●Students in NOLA Public Schools continue to make meaningful progress year over year. 79% percent of NOLA Public Schools received progress letter grades of "A" or "B".

●Several schools have been recognized for their outstanding impact with student growth and helping historically disadvantaged students excel. Seven NOLA Public Schools received Top Gains Honoree recognition and three schools were named Opportunity Honorees.

The newly released data underscores the need for local schools to improve their impact, especially among K-8 schools, where some schools did experience decline. Specifically, eight schools dropped to a letter grade of "F" between the 2019 and 2022 school years. One school previously rated "F" in 2019, ReNEW Schaumburg Elementary, improvedfrom an "F" in 2019 to receive letter grade of "D" in 2022.

"As a District, we know this baseline data provides an opportunity for growth, and we must continue to focus on retaining great teachers and supporting them in using high-quality instruction designed to help students meet the rigor of state assessments while also focusing on the arts, sports, and extracurricular activities to help develop the whole child," said Dr. Williams. "My administration has been meeting with school leaders to discuss how we can continue to move the needle forward. Our joint goal is to focus on ensuring our educators have the resources they need to help our scholars thrive."

Every year, with the exception of the past two years due to COVID-19, schools and school systems in Louisiana receive report cards with school performance scores and corresponding A-F letter grades. The report cards, which can be viewed via the online Louisiana School Finder, communicate how well schools are preparing students for the next grade level by examining student performance measures and providing insight into what academic and non-academic offerings schools provide.

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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). NOLA-PS currently oversees 72 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, the first woman in the District's 181 years to serve as its permanent superintendent.

For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.