RPSB achieves record-breaking school scores.
11/16/2022
ALEXANDRIA, La – The Louisiana Department of Education has released its progress report for the Rapides Parish School System, which in turn, gave Rapides Parish schools an overall 80.4 school performance score (SPS), the highest grade ever achieved for Rapides Parish under the current accountability formula.
With that score, Rapides Parish has been awarded as a B-rated school district for the 2021-2022 school year and has achieved that “B” grade for the fourth year in a row. This year’s score is an improvement from last year’s 78.3 overall rating, and is higher than the state average in all but one of the state reporting indices. From the 2018-2019 reporting year through this reporting period, the district has moved from 35 to 24 in the overall District Performance Score Ranking in Louisiana.
“We are excited to celebrate the success of our students, teachers, school leaders and communities,” RPSB Superintendent Jeff Powell said. “While we are always focused on continuous improvement, these outcomes show evidence that we are working on the right work. The way our community has come together over the last few years to support our children, their teachers and our schools is proving to the world that Rapides Parish truly is better together.”
Multiple factors contribute to the current accountability formula including the Kindergarten to High School Assessment Index and Progress Index, ACT Performance, Strength of Diploma, Graduate Rate Index, Dropout/Credit Accumulation Index, Kindergarten to 8th-grade Interests and Opportunities and High School Interest and Opportunities. Here in Rapides Parish, the graduation rate increased from 83.3 to 86.6, with other areas of substantial growth occurring in K-8 Interest and Opportunities, Strength of Diploma, and K-8 Progress.
Within Rapides Parish’s 80.4 overall SPS, five schools achieved an “A” letter grade, 22 schools achieved a “B” letter grade, seven schools achieved a “C” letter grade, four schools achieved a “D” letter grade and four schools achieved an “F” letter grade. 31 out of 42 schools improved their overall SPS and 11 schools improved their letter grade. Those schools are:
“In my opinion, we’ve always been an “A” school,” Plainview High School Principal Bryan Landry, with Plainview receiving their first “A” in school history, said. “I see the work that our people put in every day, and I’ve told them from the very beginning that scores and all are great, but at the end of the day, it’s how we relate to our students.”
Pineville High School is also another school receiving an “A” grade, which is a score that the school has experienced before.
“This growth for Pineville High School is directly attributed to the administrative team and the faculty of Pineville High School,” Pineville High School Principal Dr. Karl Carpenter said. “There’s a difference between working together and working as a team. These folks work as a team, we’ve made some of our goals, and we have more to go.”
An attributing factor to Carter C. Raymond Elementary School achieving a “C” letter grade was a tremendous growth in progress, resulting in the progress growth grade improving from a “C” to an “A.”
“I want to give a shout-out to the hard work that the teachers did,” Carter C. Raymond Elementary School Principal Jill Summers said. “We’ve always had the mindset that our students could grow, it’s just giving them the tools and the information that they do know. Everyone stepped up in doing what they needed to do for the kids.”
15 schools in Rapides Parish achieved “Top Gains,” which means those schools are those demonstrating exceptional student progress earning an “A” for student progress, ensuring that students meet or exceed their learning goals each year. Top Gains schools must also not be persistently struggling with a specific group of students or student behavior. Those schools include:
Four schools in Rapides Parish achieved “Equity Honoree” which means those schools are demonstrating excellence in serving economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities and/or English language learners. These schools also must not be persistently struggling with any specific groups of students or student behavior. Those schools include:
With the release of the scores, the school district has found areas for improvement. The Assessment Index, ACT and overall commitment to the district’s goals are a few of the major areas the school system is working on to increase overall educational productivity. Some of the answers the school system is implementing to help improve areas are providing effective professional development in the implementation of curriculum, increasing investment in ACT boot camps, better communication about the benefits of higher ACT scores with students and parents and supporting effectively students in Kindergarten – High School with resources to progress and maximize their potential.
To check out the full list of areas of improvement, including how each of the district’s schools performed and what areas they grew in, you can visit HERE.
With that score, Rapides Parish has been awarded as a B-rated school district for the 2021-2022 school year and has achieved that “B” grade for the fourth year in a row. This year’s score is an improvement from last year’s 78.3 overall rating, and is higher than the state average in all but one of the state reporting indices. From the 2018-2019 reporting year through this reporting period, the district has moved from 35 to 24 in the overall District Performance Score Ranking in Louisiana.
“We are excited to celebrate the success of our students, teachers, school leaders and communities,” RPSB Superintendent Jeff Powell said. “While we are always focused on continuous improvement, these outcomes show evidence that we are working on the right work. The way our community has come together over the last few years to support our children, their teachers and our schools is proving to the world that Rapides Parish truly is better together.”
Multiple factors contribute to the current accountability formula including the Kindergarten to High School Assessment Index and Progress Index, ACT Performance, Strength of Diploma, Graduate Rate Index, Dropout/Credit Accumulation Index, Kindergarten to 8th-grade Interests and Opportunities and High School Interest and Opportunities. Here in Rapides Parish, the graduation rate increased from 83.3 to 86.6, with other areas of substantial growth occurring in K-8 Interest and Opportunities, Strength of Diploma, and K-8 Progress.
Within Rapides Parish’s 80.4 overall SPS, five schools achieved an “A” letter grade, 22 schools achieved a “B” letter grade, seven schools achieved a “C” letter grade, four schools achieved a “D” letter grade and four schools achieved an “F” letter grade. 31 out of 42 schools improved their overall SPS and 11 schools improved their letter grade. Those schools are:
| School | 2022 | 2019 | School | 2022 | 2019 |
| Pineville High School | A | B | Rosenthal | B | C |
| Plainview High School | A | B | Northwood High | B | C |
| Ball Elementary | B | C | Carter C Raymond | C | D |
| JI Barron | B | C | Alma Redwine | C | D |
| Bolton High School | B | C | Martin Park | D | F |
| Nachman Elementary | B | C |
“In my opinion, we’ve always been an “A” school,” Plainview High School Principal Bryan Landry, with Plainview receiving their first “A” in school history, said. “I see the work that our people put in every day, and I’ve told them from the very beginning that scores and all are great, but at the end of the day, it’s how we relate to our students.”
Pineville High School is also another school receiving an “A” grade, which is a score that the school has experienced before.
“This growth for Pineville High School is directly attributed to the administrative team and the faculty of Pineville High School,” Pineville High School Principal Dr. Karl Carpenter said. “There’s a difference between working together and working as a team. These folks work as a team, we’ve made some of our goals, and we have more to go.”
An attributing factor to Carter C. Raymond Elementary School achieving a “C” letter grade was a tremendous growth in progress, resulting in the progress growth grade improving from a “C” to an “A.”
“I want to give a shout-out to the hard work that the teachers did,” Carter C. Raymond Elementary School Principal Jill Summers said. “We’ve always had the mindset that our students could grow, it’s just giving them the tools and the information that they do know. Everyone stepped up in doing what they needed to do for the kids.”
15 schools in Rapides Parish achieved “Top Gains,” which means those schools are those demonstrating exceptional student progress earning an “A” for student progress, ensuring that students meet or exceed their learning goals each year. Top Gains schools must also not be persistently struggling with a specific group of students or student behavior. Those schools include:
- ASH
- J.I. Barron
- Scott M. Brame
- Buckeye Elementary
- Caroline Dormon Junior High
- Hayden R. Lawrence Upper Elementary School
- Mary Goff Elementary
- Martin Park Elementary
- J.B. Nachman Elementary
- Northwood High School
- Oak Hill High School
- Paradise Elementary
- Phoenix Magnet Elementary School
- Plainview High School
- Ruby-Wise Elementary School
Four schools in Rapides Parish achieved “Equity Honoree” which means those schools are demonstrating excellence in serving economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities and/or English language learners. These schools also must not be persistently struggling with any specific groups of students or student behavior. Those schools include:
- Caroline Dormon Junior High
- Mary Goff Elementary
- Phoenix Magnet Elementary School
- Plainview High School
With the release of the scores, the school district has found areas for improvement. The Assessment Index, ACT and overall commitment to the district’s goals are a few of the major areas the school system is working on to increase overall educational productivity. Some of the answers the school system is implementing to help improve areas are providing effective professional development in the implementation of curriculum, increasing investment in ACT boot camps, better communication about the benefits of higher ACT scores with students and parents and supporting effectively students in Kindergarten – High School with resources to progress and maximize their potential.
To check out the full list of areas of improvement, including how each of the district’s schools performed and what areas they grew in, you can visit HERE.