After two years of consecutive growth, statewide school performance scores have exceeded pre-pandemic levels and several schools in Southwest Louisiana ranked high.

The Louisiana Department of Education released the 2023 performance scores for Louisiana public schools and systems on Monday.

For the 2021-22 school year, the statewide school performance score matched the pre-pandemic score of 77.1. In 2022-23, Louisiana’s score improved 1.4 points to 78.5.

Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said that there is “growth across the board,” and while this is an improvement to be proud of, the state shouldn’t lose sight of the work that still needs to be done.

“We should pause, we should celebrate those improvements, but at the same time recognize that as a state that has been long challenged educationally, we still have a lot of work to do. We believe we are poised to do that work. We believe we have a lot of momentum around that work.”

He said that the LDOE will focus attention on ensuring students have their individual needs met, manning classrooms with qualified teachers, creating opportunities for families to have choices for their children’s education and returning to the “basics of literacy and foundations of math.”

The Calcasieu Parish School Board District Performance score improved by 3.3 points, with a score of 86.1. Eight-two percent of schools in the Calcasieu Parish school district showed growth in their school performance scores and 94 percent of CPSB schools are now considered an A, B or C campus.

CPSB Superintendent Shannon LaFargue said in a release that CPSB’s performance is confirmation of the dedication of the district’s students, faculty and staff.

“This is just a testament to what’s to come in our district. Our students, our teachers, our staff, they are all putting in the hard work. This data is simply a reflection of what we already knew was happening on our campuses. Our students are being set up for success because our teachers are building solid foundations for the future.”

T.S. Cooley Elementary Magnet school scored 117.6 on a 150-point scale, ranking it seventh statewide for overall School Performance Scores for kindergarten through eighth grade.

Gillis Elementary improved by 13.2 points and was ranked tenth in most improved in kindergarten through eighth grade schools.

Starks High School ranked fourth in most improved high schools category with a jump of 11.9 points. Lake Charles College Prep – a charter school – is ranked right under Starks High with an improvement of 11.1 points.

In the Cameron Parish School District, Grand Lake Elementary, Grand Lake High School, South Cameron High School, Johnson Bayou High School and Hackberry High School were recognized as Top Gains schools. Schools are deemed Top Gains schools if the progress index is 90 or higher.

The district also ranked first in the state for Early Childhood Network Performance with a rating of 6.25 and fifth in the state for District Performance Scores with a score of 93.6, said Cameron Parish Schools Superintendent Charley Lemons. He told the American Press that the results are like a reward for the Cameron Parish School District.

“Our students, support staff, teachers, school leaders, and supervisors work extremely hard every day to ensure student success and growth remains a top priority.  With all the negativity surrounding public education today, it sure is nice to see all their hard work pay off.”

The Vernon Parish school district is ranked 10th in the state for District Performance Scores with a score of 90.5.