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Bossier Schools received its 2021-22 report card today from the Louisiana Department of Education, the first official performance scores that reflect school letter grades since the pandemic, and it shows students throughout the district are making great strides and tremendous growth.
As a result, the state ranked Bossier Schools as the seventh leading district in the state for earning an ‘A’ for student growth and 12th overall among all 65 reporting districts.
Eleven schools went up one or more letter grades; 24 schools showed improvement in their School Performance Score (SPS); nine earned Opportunity Honoree status; another 20 were designated as Top Gains schools; the graduation rate rose to its highest point on record; and Bossier Parish Schools increased its overall District Performance Score (DPS) by 2.7 points, which is a difficult and significant feat.
“Our district vision is to WIN the day; every student, every way, and this report card is a direct reflection of our educators digging in and doing whatever it takes to make an impact in children’s lives. Teachers are difference makers and I am proud to see their efforts are not going unnoticed, as well as that of our students who put in the hard work,” said Bossier Schools Superintendent Mitch Downey.
One of the brightest spots is Bossier Elementary, which jumped two letter grades to a ‘C.’ Ten others moved up a letter grade since 2019: Bellaire Elementary; Central Park Elementary; Curtis Elementary; Elm Grove Middle; Haughton Elementary; Haughton High; R.V. Kerr Elementary; Meadowview Elementary; Parkway High and Waller Elementary.
Meadowview Elementary was also singled out by LDOE for jumping 19.3 points in its School Performance Score between 2021 and 2022, ranking it fifth in the state for showing most improvement. Other schools posting overall gains in student achievement are: Airline High; Bellaire Elementary; Benton Elementary; Benton Intermediate; Bossier Elementary; Bossier High; Central Park Elementary; Cope Middle; Curtis Elementary; Elm Grove Elementary; Elm Grove Middle; Haughton Elementary; Kingston Elementary; Parkway High; Plantation Park Elementary; Platt Elementary; T.L. Rodes Elementary; Rusheon Middle; Stockwell Place Elementary; Benton Middle; Princeton Elementary; Legacy Elementary and W.T. Lewis Elementary.
Schools that are Opportunity Honorees are those that demonstrate excellence and are in the top 10-percent for performance among students with disabilities, English learners or economically disadvantaged students. On the honor roll are: Airline High; Apollo Elementary; Bellaire Elementary; Haughton High; Kingston Elementary; Legacy Elementary; Parkway High; Platt Elementary; and Stockwell Place Elementary.
Top Gains schools are those that demonstrate exceptional student progress, earning an ‘A’ for student progress and ensuring that students meet or exceed their learning goals each year. Earning Top Gains distinction are: Airline High, Apollo Elementary, Bellaire Elementary, Benton Elementary, Benton Intermediate, Benton High, Benton Middle, Cope Middle, Haughton Elementary, Haughton High, Legacy Elementary, W.T. Lewis Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Parkway High, Plain Dealing High, Plantation Park Elementary, Platt Elementary, T.L. Rodes Elementary, Sun City Elementary and Stockwell Place Elementary.
Additionally, the cohort graduation rate increased a point, reflecting 92.2 percent of all 2020-21 Bossier Parish high school seniors graduated; the ACT Index rose 4.3 points, a step in the right direction after ACT scores plummeted nationwide during the pandemic; and the district earned a perfect score of 150 in the High School Interests and Opportunities Index, which measures students’ exposure to the arts, world languages and physical education. This culminated in Bossier Schools receiving a District Performance Score of 86.4 and a ‘B’ letter grade.
While there remains room for improvement, the district is continually addressing those areas of need by providing additional support and putting systems and structures in place to move the needle in the right direction at every school.
“We will not rest until every student is showing growth and achieving to the best of their ability,” Downey added. “Our educators are champions for children and all of us at Bossier Schools are cheering for their success.”
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