Parish grad rates outpace state, lower than region

Slightly more than 77 percent of St. Mary Parish students graduated on time in 2013, outpacing the state average by nearly 4 percent but trailing behind the region.
Graduation rates are reported by the state Department of Education one year following high school completion and include students who finished high school in four years.
While outpacing the state, St. Mary Parish had the lowest graduation rates of the five surrounding parishes.
Assumption Parish led the region with an 86.4 percent graduation rate in 2013. Other parish graduation rates in 2013 are St. Martin, 85 percent; Lafourche, 81.4 percent; Terrebonne, 80.9 percent; and Iberia, 79.7 percent.
St. Mary Parish had 77.1 percent in 2013.
St. Mary Parish’s graduation rate increased 3.3 percent over the previous year.
Individual school graduation rates are:
—Berwick, 90.7 percent.
—Patterson, 81.8 percent.
—Centerville, 77.1 percent.
—Morgan City, 74.5 percent.
—West St. Mary, 72.2 percent.
—Franklin High School, 69.3 percent.
Superintendent Donald Aguillard said, “While district graduation cohort rates are trending upward, we remain committed to working with individual high schools on initiatives that will accelerate high school completion within the four year expectation.”
State accountability guidelines include both measures of student mastery and aptitude along with graduation ratings in the calculation of a high school’s performance score.
Louisiana’s testing program of high school students includes End-of-Course online tests, which assess proficiency in specific subject areas immediately upon completion of the class.
In 2013-14, tests were administered in the subjects of algebra, geometry, English, U.S. history and biology. Student performance is scored using the achievement levels of excellent, good, fair or needs improvement. Any student who fails an end of course test has the opportunity for remediation and retesting at a later date.
This year’s results reflect minor areas of improvement in student performance among initial test takers as 80 percent of Algebra I students passed the EOC, 80 percent in geometry, 91 percent in English II, 93 percent in English III, 88 percent in U.S. history and 86 percent in biology. Eighth-grade students enrolled in Algebra I accomplished a passage rate of 100 percent with 81 percent posting the test’s highest achievement level of excellent.
However, student passage rates are calculated differently than proficiency rates, which combine scores from the achievement levels of good or excellent only.
Course proficiency rates for 2013-14 were 52 percent in Algebra I, 48 percent in geometry, 69 percent in English II, 62 percent in English III, 58 percent in biology and 63 percent in U.S. history.
EOC test proficiency data also represents 25 percent of a high school’s overall school performance score. That score is set to be released in the fall.
State standards focus on developing students for college and career readiness, regardless of postsecondary aspirations. Therefore, accountability measures for high schools require assessment of all high school juniors and seniors using the ACT test.
State accountability guidelines require that students score a minimum of 18 on the ACT in order for high schools to attain credit for this component of the overall performance score.
A total of 526 St. Mary Parish seniors took the test in 2013-14, the news release stated. Of those, 55 percent met the state benchmark of a score of 18 or better. That is a 5 percent decrease from the previous year, the news release stated.
Students who score 20 or higher and who graduate with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 can qualify for state tuition assistance.
Aguillard said, “Any decline in student performance, no matter how slight, is cause for concern; however, I am duly assured that steps taken to adequately prepare students for the changing testing protocol will illustrate widespread gains as annual data summaries are released.”
He added: “The deliberate approach to a more rigorous set of learning standards and testing protocols will inevitably result in enhanced assessment performance and graduation rates. Our teachers and administrators have thoroughly embraced the instructional challenges set forth and student achievement results will certainly react correspondingly.”