By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — In a reversal of roles, River Region school districts were the ones receiving report cards this week, as the Louisiana Department of Education released district school report cards Tuesday.

The report cards summarize and evaluate academic achievement of the 2013-2014 school year.

St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools continued to improve its District Performance Score this year, raising it nearly three points and maintaining a “C” score, even as the state instituted more rigorous testing standards for students.

The district’s performance score improved to 83.1 in 2014, just 1.9 points shy of a “B” rating and up from an 80.4 from the year before.

“We will not rest until all of our schools are either an ‘A’ or a ‘B,’” St. John Parish Superintendent Kevin George said. “We call on all stakeholders to continue to work as one to make St. John the Baptist Parish a first-class educational system.”

St. Charles Parish Public Schools maintained its “A” District Performance Score this year and is one of 10 districts in the state receiving the score. The district’s performance score improved to 105.9 in 2014, up from 104.3 from the year before.

St. James Parish Public Schools maintained its “B” District Performance Score in 2014, with a score of 88.1. The 2014 score is a slight decline from the 88.8 score a year before.

“School district report cards are tools parents and educators can use to understand what is happening in their schools and what choices they can make in response,” State Superintendent John White said. “As the state transitions gradually to higher expectations, it will become more challenging for schools and districts to maintain high ratings.”