About a year ago, School Board Member Al Link interviewed with Ken Benitez in explaining the update of the deseg case. Using a fear tactic, Link indicated that he didn't understand the NAACP's complaint with the school system, and that if the case kept going, the schools were going to "Look alot like New Orleans." REALLY?
Interestingly, Link was hoping to conjure up the memories we all had after Katrina regarding the New Orleans schools. Scores of schools were being taken over by the state. The outlook for poor New Orleans looked bleak and everyone knew those schools were abysmal even before Katrina. Interestingly, when Mr. Link actually made that statement, he was remiss in doing his homework. The numbers for the public are out, and here's what New Orleans looks like:
New Orleans School System Ranks 36th of 69 total districts. Tangipahoa has fallen from 45th last year, to 53rd this year. The School Performance Scores for New Orleans is 104.3 (a 3 star rating). Tangipahoa? 85.4
Take a look at the chart below:
Amazingly, New Orleans has left Tangipahoa in its dust and now ranks among the types of schools in St. Tammany Parish. Perhaps Mr. Link should go back and do a little homework.
Mr. Kolwe in an interview with WWL's Doug Mouton, Kolwe states "29 of our 33 schools actually had growth in their school performance scores over the previous year. I've been superintendent for the past two years, and in each of those two years now, our district has improved in the assessment tests."
Here's what we found from the Department of Education's Website
Schools in Decline 13
Amite Elementary
Champ Cooper
Hammond High
Independence Middle
Midway Elementary
Nesom Elementary
Natalbany Elementary
Ponchatoula High School
Tucker Memorial
West Side Middle
Woodland Park
Perrin Early Learning
Hammond Westside |
Schools with No Growth
Independence High
Loranger High
Ponchatoula Jr. High
Sumner High
Martha Vineyard
Hammond West Side Magnet
Hammond East Side
Fortunately we have NO Schools
this year that are charted as Academically
Unacceptable, however we cannot
find information on Crystal Street, nor Northwood Prep.
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Schools with Minimal Academic Growth
Amite High School
Chesbrough Elementary
Hammond Jr. High
Independence Elementary
Loranger Elementary
D.C. Reeves
Spring Creek Elementary
Hammond Eastside Magnet
Loranger Middle School
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Schools with Recognized Academic Growth
Roseland Elementary
Schools With Exemplary Academic Growth
O.W. Dillon
Southeastern Lab School
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To be fair, let's tell you the school SPS scores:
140 and above = 0 *****
120 to 139.9 = 1 (Southeastern Lab School) ****
100 - 119.9 = 0 ***
80 - 99.9 = 15 **
60-79.9 = 17 *
Interestingly, New Orleans Schools average a 3 star rating, and Tangipahoa's Averages a 1 star rating. I wonder if Mr. Link knew that? Furthermore, I think it is misleading for Mr. Kolwe to tell the public that the scores are up and heading in the right direction when clearly there is simply no way but up for so many of these failing schools.
The above numbers are taken from the 2007-08 School Year. The following link goes directly to the Louisiana Department of Education's Website, and will show the numbers for the 2008-09 School Year. Very little change is realized, with only the SLU Lab School showing a 4 Star Rating. 19 schools in Tangipahoa Parish have a 1 Star Rating; 11 schools have a 2 Star Rating; and 2 Schools have a 3 Star Rating. The numbers listed is well under the goal to be reached for this school system, which translates to our schools are failing. If Mr. Kolwe's analogy of 29 schools excelling was accurate, we need to know where his numbers used came from. It is clear, they are not in the information taken from the Department of Education's Website Accountability Report, because very little change is noted between the two school year's accountability reports.
http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/saa/2971.asp