Number of Failing Schools Plummets

Every August, as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the state releases a preliminary list of failing schools because most will be required to offer parents the option to transfer their children to another school.

This year, only 9 New Orleans schools are failing. This low number is truly a cause for celebration and reflects the past 7 years of stellar growth.

To determine which schools must provide choice, the state calculates a preliminary School Performance Score (SPS). This year marks a new SPS system with changes in how the scores are calculated.

With a new system, it’s best to compare New Orleans performance to the state, since the system has changed for all schools across the state.

  • In 2013, New Orleans has 9 of 112 failing schools in Louisiana (8%).
  • In 2005, New Orleans had 66 out of 151 failing schools in Louisiana (44%).

See below for the list of failing schools.

We just need to repeat it: There were only 9 New Orleans schools on the list (and 4 of them are alternative schools).

While New Orleans is a smaller school district post Katrina, the drop in the number failing schools is not tied to our smaller student enrollment.

  • In 2005, New Orleans enrolled 9% of Louisiana’s public school students, but we had 44% of the failing schools.
  • In 2013, New Orleans enrolled 6% of Louisiana’s public school students, and we have 8% of the failing schools.

Percent of Louisiana Students in New Orleans Schools
Percent in New Orleans Schools

New Orleans’ system of schools is among the most improved school districts in the nation, but we still have a long way to go in providing every child with a seat in a high quality school. A key milestone in this journey is to no longer have failing schools. We aren’t there yet, but we have made tremendous progress.

For more information on failing schools read this article in the Times-Picayune.

FAILING SCHOOLS

2013 Failing Schools 2013
Prelim SPS
2005 Failing Schools 2005 SPS
1 John McDonogh High School 9.3 A.P. Tureaud Elementary 35.5
2 Joseph Craig Elementary 49.2 Albert Wicker Elementary 40.8
3 McDonogh 42 Elementary 38.1 Alcee Fortier High 17
4 Pierre A. Capdau Charter 48.2 Andrew H. Wilson Elementary 49.5
5 Walter Cohen High School 41.4 Andrew J. Bell Junior High 19.2
6 Crescent Leadership Academy* 24.8 Andrew Jackson Elementary 56
7 The NET Charter* 9.3 Barbara Jordan Elementary 58
8 ReNEW Accelerated City Park* 6.1 Booker T. Washington School 15
9 ReNEW Accelerated West Bank* 2 Carter G. Woodson Middle 50.4
10 Carver Middle 26.4
11 Charles J. Colton Middle 26.5
12 Dr. Charles Richard Drew Elem 37.7
13 F.W. Gregory Junior High 44.6
14 Fannie C. Williams Middle 43.5
15 Fisk-Howard Elementary 46.4
16 Florence J. Chester Elementary 35.9
17 Frances Gaudet Elementary 49.4
18 Fredrick A. Douglass High 15
19 G. W. Carver High 26.5
20 George O. Mondy, Jr. Elem 36.3
21 Harney Elementary 46.3
22 Helen S. Edwards Elementary 47.8
23 Israel Meyer Augustine Middle 21.3
24 James M. Singleton Charter 42.4
25 James Weldon Johnson School 41.9
26 John A. Shaw Elementary 44.4
27 John F. Kennedy Senior High 26.1
28 John McDonogh Senior High 25.1
29 John W. Hoffman Elementary 46.3
30 Johnson C. Lockett Elementary 41.5
31 Joseph A. Craig School 53
32 Joseph A. Hardin School 33.6
33 Joseph S. Clark Senior High 14.6
34 Julius Rosenwald Accelerated 56.4
35 L.B. Landry High 36.2
36 Lafayette Elementary 44.4
37 Langston Hughes Elementary 54.8
38 Laurel Elementary 44.5
39 Lawless High 30
40 Lawrence D. Crocker Elementary 54.6
41 Livingston Middle 29.2
42 Lorraine Hansberry Elementary 49
43 Louis Armstrong Elementary 38.9
44 Marion Abramson Senior High 31.2
45 Martin Behrman Elementary 49.9
46 Martin L. King Middle 41.3
47 Mary Church Terrell Elementary 46
48 McDonogh #28 Middle 49.5
49 McDonogh #32 Elementary 40.1
50 McDonogh #42 Elementary 43.8
51 Milestone SABIS Academy 55
52 Morris F.X. Jeff Elementary 40.8
53 Murray Henderson Middle 38.7
54 N.O. High School Signature Centers 49.4
55 O. P. Walker Senior High 41.1
56 Oretha Castle Haley Elementary 47.3
57 Paul L. Dunbar Elementary 49.5
58 Phillis Wheatley Elementary 33.8
59 Sarah Towles Reed Senior High 42.7
60 Sylvanie F. Williams School 51.5
61 Thomas Alva Edison Elementary 49.3
62 Valena C. Jones Elementary 40.3
63 Village de l’Est Elementary 54.9
64 Vorice Jackson Waters Elementary 40
65 Walter L. Cohen High 21.4
66 William Frantz Elementary 47

 

Notes: 

1.  The * Denotes 2013 alternative schools, which together enrolled 678 students in 2012-13.

2.  Definition of failing school:

  • A failing school in 2005 had a score below 60 out of a possible 200+ points.
  • The standard rose between 2005 and 2013. A failing school in 2013 has a score below 50 out of a possible 150 points, and this year’s 50 is roughly equal to a 75 on the old scale.

3.  The lists above were developed so a parent with a child at a failing school can decide if they want to choose another school, as required by NCLB. The 2013 list only includes schools that are open for the 2013-14 school year. It does not include schools under new management or schools that are newly opened. For New Orleans, this means 6 schools operating this school year are not included:

  • 4 schools that were failing in 2012 and are under new school management for 2013-14: Crocker, Intercultural, Pride, and Schaumberg
  • 2 new OPSB schools: Bricolage and Plessy

In 2005, 4 schools were transferred to the RSD and were not included on this list: Green Middle School, Nelson Elementary School, Phillips Middle School, and Sophie B Wright.

Sources:

2005 – LA Department of Education’s August 2005 press release.
2013 – LA Department of Education’s August 2013 preliminary SPS list.