How Louisiana Schools Improved Performance Scores Over Four Years

It looks like Louisiana has turned a corner. For the fourth consecutive year, the State Department of Education is reporting an increase in public school and district performance scores.

The statewide performance score for this year reached 80.9, marking an improvement from the 75.3 reported in 2021. State Superintendent Cade Brumley noted that this is the highest overall score under the current 150-point system.

Louisiana Superintendent's Perspective on Progress and Future Work

While the scores show significant progress, Superintendent Brumley emphasized that the work is not complete.

“We are pleased with the progress, but we’re not satisfied, because we know that we still have so much work to do to improve education in our state,” Brumley said.

Brumley attributed this progress to a focus on strong instruction and targeted investments:

“We’ve invested heavily in classroom teachers to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality teacher, armed with a rigorous curriculum."
“We’ve provided a ton of additional tutoring to students in need,” he explained, showing what's possible when the state focuses its efforts.

Current Louisiana School Letter Grades

Based on the current performance scores, the breakdown of school letter grades is as follows:

A grade: 21% of schools
B grade: 31% of schools
C grade: 32% of schools
D or F grade: 16% of schools

Looking Ahead: New Accountability Formula

The state is preparing to transition to a new accountability formula next year, which Brumley acknowledges could lead to a temporary drop in the percentage of A and B grades.

Brumley explained that schools and districts will be measured using a “straightforward scorecard” that:

Raises expectations for student performance.
Places greater emphasis on whether students graduate ready for a career, college or military service.

Regarding the immediate impact of the new system, Brumley anticipates: “I think the first release, you’ll see more of a bell curve of school systems and schools. As time passes and as results get stronger, which I’m confident they will, we’ll see more and more schools and districts move into that A and B category,” he explained.