8 Avoyelles School District schools improve state performance scores

Five schools improve by a letter grade

Eight of the 10 Avoyelles Parish public schools improved their School Performance Score results, with five of those rising a letter grade. Two schools’ scores declined.

The Avoyelles School District retained an overall grade of “C,” but was once again one of the most-improved districts in the state’s annual assessments of public schools.

The district is the most-improved district over the past four years. It was the third most-improved over the past year, Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said.

SCHOOLS’ SCORES

The district schools’ results reflect the “bell curve” many math students are familiar with -- two “F,” one “D,” four “C,” two “B” and one “A.”

On the downside, Riverside Elementary remained an “F” school, dropping slightly over last year, and Cottonport Elementary fell from a “D” to an “F.”

Bunkie Elementary improved from an “F” to a “D.”

Marksville Elementary, Plaucheville Elementary and Bunkie Magnet High all rose from a “D” to a “C.” Marksville High improved its score but remains a “C” school.

Avoyelles High improved from a “C” to a “B” rating and Lafargue Elementary kept its “B” standing.

LaSAS retained its “A” rating.

Dauzat said Bunkie Magnet came very close to jumping from a “D” score of last year to a “B.” It is sixth in the state in improvement from the previous year, Dauzat noted.

“This says a lot about the employees in this school district -- the Central Office, the school administration, the support personnel, but most of all the teachers. They don’t get the recognition they deserve,” Dauzat told the board members at the Nov. 5 meeting. “They deserve the credit for this. They had an outstanding year.”

Dauzat said there are eight components in determining a school’s “state report card.” The APSD improved in seven of those and stayed the same in the other.

JUMPED 20 SPOTS

Dauzat reminded board members that in 2014-2015, Avoyelles Parish ranked 65th in performance. Last year the parish was 52nd among the 70 public school districts.

The most recent performance results place APSD at 45th - a 20-spot jump in the past four years.

Dauzat said the district is not content with being 45 out of 70, but noted the public schools are doing a good job with limited resources.

“We are last in teacher salaries, last in overall financial resources, second to last in MFP funding and the most-improved district over the past four years,” Dauzat said. “That says something about our employees.”

Dauzat said he is disappointed to see so many negative comments about the public schools.

“I hope one day to flip that page and the public will give credit to our employees for the good job they are doing,” he said.

Dauzat said the law of statistics argues that eventually an upward trend will stall and results will decline. However, he added, “I believe we can keep the momentum going.

‘Every year we grow, we set the bar higher for the next year.”

AVOYELLES JOURNAL
BUNKIE RECORD
MARKSVILLE WEEKLY

105 N Main St
Marksville, LA 71351
(318) 253-9247

CONTACT US