Widespread changes in testing strengthen instructional focus in 2014

The St. Mary Parish School System observed a year of multiple complex changes in its academic approaches, budgetary considerations and school facility maintenance in 2014.
As the Louisiana Department of Education negotiated over changes in state testing, St. Mary Parish educators remained centered on teaching and learning aligned to Common Core standards. Throughout the year, graduated releases of resources have aided educators in comprehending the extensive differences necessary to adequately prepare students for unfamiliar PARCC state tests beginning March 16.
Weather emergencies continued to plague the district as schools were forced to close on Jan. 24 when a rare winter storm approached south Louisiana. The exceptionally low temperatures led to sleet in some areas of the state and treacherous road conditions that kept students home until Jan. 30. Fortunately, the cold weather gave way to a quiet hurricane season and 2014 continued without further disruptions or necessary alterations in the official school calendar.
Although sales tax collections were initially above budgeted levels, the year ended nearly flat, prompting Chief Financial Officer Alton Perry to begin drafting conservative budget considerations for the upcoming year. A dip in student enrollment further complicated the district’s spending plan as St. Mary Parish continued to receive significantly less funding through the state’s Minimum Foundation Program. Property tax collections also were down, resulting in a trifecta of budget woes for the district.
The school system was commended for its budgetary practices during an extensive annual audit that rated accounting practices with an unmodified opinion indicating a highly detailed and accurate reporting of financial allocations and funding sources. The board’s general fund expenditures exceeded revenue sources, requiring the school system to dip into reserves in the amount of $400,000 for the first time in recent years.
Sadly, the district suffered the loss of two long-time school leaders whose contributions to St. Mary’s progress were unparalleled. Principal Tommy Bourgeois of Berwick Junior High School lost his battle with ALS on Jan. 5 after leading the school to its first A rating for school performance and building a reform-oriented school culture for continued progress.
Earlier in the school year, Foster Elementary Principal Mike Payton also passed away after a long illness. Payton was instrumental in growing the rural elementary school to a respectable B school performance rating.
The district recognizes the crucial and strategic role school and teacher leaders perform in ensuring the academic success of St. Mary Parish students. The performance gains of the district could not have been possible without the dedicated guidance and influence of our school leaders.
Parish principals of the Year were Joseph Stadalis, J.S. Aucoin Elementary; Suzanne Bergeron, Patterson Junior High; and Tybus Burdett, Franklin High. Stadalis further advanced as a state finalist for Louisiana’s Principal of the Year. The district is proud of this recognition for the distinguished accomplishments he has made at J.S. Aucoin.
Michele Besse of Bayou Vista Elementary and Lane Larive of Berwick Junior High were named St. Mary Parish Teachers of the Year.
Appointments in administrative leadership in 2014 due to retirements, transfers or promotions included: Charles Foulcard, Hernandez Elementary principal; Tim Hymel, Berwick Junior High principal; Dennis McDill, Morgan City High assistant principal; Larive, Berwick Junior High assistant principal; Sheryl Gibbons, Hattie Watts assistant principal; Gidget Everitt, at-risk interventionist; Amber Monceaux, Social Studies program manager, and Amy Vaccarella, technology facilitator.
Parish leadership also experienced a transformation with the appointment of Teresa Bagwell as the new assistant superintendent following the retirement of long-time assistant superintendent Keith Thibodeaux.
When the Louisiana Department of Education released accountability data in October, St. Mary Parish was awarded a district letter grade combining performance ratings from all 23 schools into a District Performance Score of 90.4. The district maintained its B status and continued to outpace the state’s performance score of 89.2. St. Mary ranked 26th out of 74 school districts.
The honor of Top Gains School recognizes any school that achieves its Growth Target and meets Annual Yearly Progress within tested groups. Based on 2014 ratings, three schools in St. Mary Parish qualify for this distinction: Berwick Junior High with a growth of 10.8 points, Hernandez Elementary with an increase of 13.1 points, and LaGrange Elementary with a gain of 10.4 points.
Ten schools in the district attained bonus points for students identified within the lowest-performing subgroup who exceeded growth expectations on accountability testing in 2014: Bayou Vista Elementary, B.E. Boudreaux Middle, Berwick Junior High, Hattie Watts Elementary, Hernandez Elementary, Lagrange Elementary, Morgan City Junior High, Patterson Junior High, Raintree Elementary and Wyandotte Elementary.
An enhanced infusion of classroom technology resulted from the dedication of funds for LearnPads in every third grade classroom. Investment in the devices was spurred by a whole school deployment at Shannon Elementary made possible by a local grant.
The experiences of students and teachers were shared with board members who acted quickly to expand the program parish-wide. Plans are underway to closely study its impact at the end of the school year. Teacher trainings in LearnPads, Promethean boards and other educational technology sources have been conducted at individual schools throughout the year to ensure appropriate classroom integration.
The year was relatively free of controversy until November when Superintendent Dr. Donald Aguillard received a complaint concerning a moment of reflection at Morgan City High School’s Veterans Day Ceremony from the American Humanist Association on behalf of a Morgan City High School student.
After collaborating with board attorney Eric Duplantis, it was determined that the introductory prayer by an invited veteran during the opening of the program did not comply with the law. It is incorrect, however, to assume that students do not have the right to exercise religious freedom.
School Board policy explicitly protects students’ religious liberty. Religious liberty not only refers to one’s right for religious expression, it also includes the right to refrain from participation in religious activities.
Following the complaint, school administrators were provided further guidance on adhering to the fundamental rights as stated in the U.S. Constitution, while still maintaining the long-standing traditions of school ceremonies that celebrate veterans, black history and commencement.
As 2015 begins, the dedicated focus of teachers and students strengthens in preparation for the testing season. Elementary students will be taking DIBELS tests to gauge reading progress in January as middle school students take parish assessments to aid teachers in proper remediation.
High school students begin new courses in the spring semester due to the block scheduling format. The week of March 16-20, students in grades 3-8 will take PARCC tests in English and math for the first time as high school students take the ACT test on March 17.
Elementary and middle school students will then take LEAP and iLEAP tests in social studies and science on April 14-15 and the final end-of-year English and math PARCC tests the week of May 4-8. Spring semester End-of-Course testing will also take place in May for high school students.
Widespread changes in Louisiana education over the past few years have presented many obstacles for educators and students to overcome. St. Mary Parish schools have embraced these challenges, working steadfastly to uphold high standards and rigorous curriculums to ensure success for all students.
I have the utmost confidence in our students and educators in their ability to transition and adapt to the countless adjustments in both curriculum and testing expected by the Louisiana Department of Education. Our instructional staff and school administrators are fixated on district goals and determined to provide purposeful support to facilitate the achievement of those goals.