The Louisiana Department of Education released the school ratings for the 2018-2019 school year this week. According to the data provided, the Plaquemines Parish school system was the highlighted system this year. They jumped from a B district to an A district. Plaquemines Parish was the only district in the New Orleans metro area to earn the highest mark given to the state’s school districts.

Each year the state’s department of education looks at many factors to determine the district’s grade which include students’ test scores and student growth. The performance scores are converted to letter grades which are calculated using metrics that show how the students did on key tests, graduation rates and academic growth. In order to become an A district, the district and schools need to get 90 points out of 150.

The scores are accounted for differently in elementary schools and high schools. The elementary school level’s grade includes 25% for growth, where only 12.5% accounts for growth in the high school level. The remaining 75% of the grade in the elementary level is based on actual test scores. The high school level is calculated as follows: 12.5% on student growth, 12.5% on state test assessment, 25% on ACT scores, 25% on student graduation rate and the remaining 25% based on strength of diploma.

According to the data collected, most metro area’s districts remained at the same grade. St. Bernard, St. Charles and St. Tammany parishes remained at a B and Orleans, Jefferson and St. John the Baptist parishes remained at a C.

Overall, the stated maintained its grade B. Superintendent John White is working with ways to improve the grade to an A.

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