By LEONARD GRAY Staff Reporter

LULING – Just-released figures from the Louisiana Department of Education show school performance scores for St. Charles Parish Schools are up in 17 of 19 schools.

Only two schools, Norco K-3 and Norco-4-6 elementary schools, will go into a school improvement plan, according to Felecia Gomez, executive director of restructure, curriculum and instruction.

And, since beginning the improvement program four years ago, and only releasing these scores every other year, the pressure will now increase to improve scores on an annual basis, according to school district officials.

The school performance scores are based 60 percent upon LEAP and GEE scores, where applicable; 30 percent upon Iowa Test scores, where applicable; 10 percent upon attendance; and instead (for middle and high schools) 5 percent attendance and 5 percent dropout rate.

The goal for 2014 is to have all Louisiana schools at a ranking of 120. At present, 10 schools in the parish rank at above 100, according to the data.

Using a five-star ranking system, with five stars being the best, 10 of the schools are three stars, with Hahnville High moving up from two to three. The others are Destrehan High, Lakewood Elementary, J.B. Martin Middle, Mimosa Park Elementary, Songy Kindergarten, Harry Hurst Middle, New Sarpy Elementary, Ethel Schoeffner Elementary and New Sarpy Kindergarten.

Nine of the schools are two-star schools, with three moving up from one-star status. Those moving up are Carver Elementary, Eual J. Landry Sr. Middle and Luling Elementary. The others maintaining their status are Norco 4-6 Elementary, Albert Cammon Middle, St. Rose Elementary, R. J. Vial Elementary and Norco K-3 Elementary.

Six schools exceeded their target goals for this year and will receive cash rewards for direct benefit of students, including instructional material and technology improvements.

Those schools are Allemands Elementary, Hahnville High, Landry Middle, St. Rose Middle, R.J. Vial Elementary and Hurst Middle.

Scores were also reviewed for various subgroups and how they affect overall school performances. Designated subgroups, which are counted when a single school includes at least 10 qualifying students, include five different racial/ethnic groups, economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited-English proficiency and all students (considered as a subgroup).

In reviewing the school performance scores, no schools this year are going into school improvement programs, based on their subgroup scores.

Meanwhile, said Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Rachel Allemand, the local district is concerned about the state’s practice in holding disabled students accountable to meet regular-education student standards.

“At what point is it pushing too much?” she said. “How soon will it be before challenge becomes frustration?”

The problem, she continued, is the state’s one-size-fits-all approach, which is causing “great consternation” within the system.

However, where many school districts are struggling with more of their schools in school improvement programs, and only addressing their problems now, in St. Charles Parish, such programs are well under way, Gomez said. Statewide, 45 percent of schols are in some sort of improvement program, while St. Charles Parish has only 10.5 percent of its schools, two of 19 facilities.

All the school improvement programs and plans to meet and exceed state standards will be televised on the cable access Channel 8, starting next week, Gomez continued, by each school principal.

Both Gomez and Allemand praised the school board for their foresightedness and unflagging support of school improvement efforts.