Revisionist History | Educate Now!

High School Performance: Then and Now
Or … Leslie’s Rant

A few months ago, I went on WBOK radio to discuss public schools in New Orleans. A number of callers, as well as one of the hosts, disputed the fact that our schools are getting better. I readily acknowledge that we have room for improvement, but quite frankly, I am tired of the revisionist history some folks insist on using to rationalize their opposition to the school reforms taking place in New Orleans.

There cannot be honest disagreement, based on any semblance of facts, on whether schools are doing a better job educating students today versus 2005 – THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER.

To make my point, let’s look at the TOPS data, which is compiled by the Office of Student Financial Assistance (not the Department of Education). Louisiana offers qualifying students a scholarship to a 4-year (TOPS Opportunity¹) or 2-year (TOPS Tech) college based on a combination of GPA, coursework, and ACT scores. OSFA has been compiling this data since TOPS began, and the standard for earning a scholarship is the same in 2013 as it was in 2005, so it’s a pretty good measurement to compare high school performance.

So let’s compare.

New Orleans has made remarkable gains since 2005.

In 2013, 38% of our graduates qualified for TOPS scholarships, an increase of more than 50% from the 2005 rate of 25%.

TOPS Eligibility

Year	# Graduates	TOPS 4-year	TOPS 2-year	All TOPS
2005	2906	16%	9%	25%
2013	2252	26%	12%	38%

View LOSFA’s 2013 TOPS report.

But this isn’t the real story.

Critics of the current reforms say they don’t like that schools are run by two governing bodies – RSD/BESE and OPSB. They want to go back to just one system.

They forget that in 2005 New Orleans also had two school systems: a system of “good” schools and one of “bad” schools – separate and very unequal.

These two unequal systems are vividly captured in the 2005 TOPS data.

There were the Selective Admissions High Schools (the “good” schools).

In 2005, there were 6 selective admissions
high schools in New Orleans.

98% of their seniors graduated.

37% of their graduates earned a 4-year TOPS college scholarship.

15% of their graduates earned a 2-year TOPS Tech scholarship.

They had an average School Performance Score of 120 (4 stars or equivalent to an A).

See list of schools below.

And there were the District High Schools (the “bad” schools).

All other students went to one of 13 non-selective district high schools.²

All 13 schools were failing – with a low F.

These 13 schools’ combined average SPS was 26 when below 60 was failing.

1 in 4 of their 2,300 seniors did not graduate.

Only 18 graduates (1%) earned a 4-year TOPS college scholarship.

Only 69 graduates (4%) earned a 2-year TOPS Tech scholarship.

See list of schools below.

Of 2,302 seniors who attended a district high school in 2005, 607 of them did not graduate, and only 18 earned a 4-year TOPS scholarship. Why would anyone ever defend this system??

High Schools Today

We may have two governing bodies, but we no longer have a two track system where the majority of students attend schools with little educational opportunity.

Of the 22 regular high schools operating in the city², all but four (Franklin, Lusher, Warren Easton, and New Orleans Military Academy) are participating in OneApp³ next year and have no admission requirements. These non-selective high schools are performing significantly better than non-selective schools did in 2005.

Comparing 2013 non-selective high schools
to 2005 non-selective high schools

The senior dropout rate has been cut by more than half.

The TOPS 4-year scholarship rate has increased from 1% to 18%.

The TOPS 2-year Tech scholarship rate has increased from 4% to 14%.

And we’ve gone from 100% failing schools to 9%.⁴

See list of schools below.

Conclusion

Those who argue schools are no better allege the data is not real. This TOPS data is as real as it gets, especially for the students who are now eligible for a college scholarship because our high schools are doing a better job today.

Eight years after Katrina, it is time to recognize that our schools before the storm were failing to provide the majority of our students educational opportunities. It is also time to celebrate and take hope in the fact, that given the chance, our students can achieve. Our challenge going forward is to continue to improve, so more and more high school students graduate college or career ready – a goal that will ensure strong opportunities for ALL of our children.

School Performance

2005 Selective Admissions High Schools
Schools	2005 SPS	12th Grade Enrollment	Graduates	TOPS 4-year	TOPS 2-year
Ben Franklin High School	200.5	187	186	147	0
Edna Karr Magnet School	127.2	160	158	84	29
McDonogh #35 Senior High	115.8	235	229	57	56
McMain Magnet School	121.3	182	176	105	26
Rabouin Magnet School	61.1	122	121	4	10
Warren Easton Senior High	93.6	355	341	55	63
Total		1,241	1211 (98%)	452 (37%)	184 (15%)

2005 Non-Selective District High Schools
Schools	2005 SPS	12th Grade Enrollment	Graduates	TOPS 4-year	TOPS 2-year
Alcee Fortier High School	17	123	111	2	4
Booker T Washington High	15	50	38	0	2
Frederick A. Douglass	15	121	62	1	3
George W Carver High	26.5	152	101	0	1
John F Kennedy High School	26.1	284	220	0	7
John McDonogh High School	25.1	259	152	1	5
Joseph Clark High School	14.6	135	83	2	1
L B Landry High School	36.2	106	64	2	1
Lawless Senior High School	30	127	109	0	2
Marion Abramson High	31.2	384	285	8	32
O Perry Walker High School	41.1	204	187	1	4
Sarah T Reed High School	42.7	244	200	1	2
Walter L Cohen High School	21.4	113	83	0	5
Total		2302	1695 (74%)	18 (1%)	69 (4%)

2013 Non-Selective High Schools
Schools	12th Grade Enrollment	Graduates⁵	TOPS 4-year	TOPS 2-year
Algiers Technology Academy	71	75	3	6
Carver College Prep⁶	**	**
Carver Collegiate Academy⁶	**	**
Dr. M.L.K. Charter for Science and Tech	37	39	1	12
Edna Karr Secondary School	217	210	61	34
Eleanor McMain Secondary	127	119	35	21
George W. Carver High School	75	66	1	10
International High School	106	101	37	12
John McDonogh High School	119	69	2	10
Joseph S. Clark High School	85	72	3	5
L.B. Landry High School⁷	43	52	1	5
Lake Area High School	161	141	20	22
McDonogh 35 Senior High⁸	209	207	25	24
Miller-McCoy Academy	34	31	1	7
New Orleans Charter Science and Math	110	95	34	12
New Orleans College Prep⁶	**	**
O. Perry Walker High School⁷	261	212	42	21
Renaissance High School6	**	**
Sarah T. Reed High School	92	54	7	6
Sci Academy	64	63	21	15
Sophie B. Wright Inst. of Acad Excellence	77	59	14	16
Walter L Cohen High School	63	48	0	4
Total	1951	1713 (88%)	308 (18%)	243 (14%)

2013 Selective High Schools/Not in OneApp
Schools	12th Grade Enrollment	Graduates⁵	TOPS 4-year	TOPS 2-year
Ben Franklin High School	154	154	127	1
Lusher Charter School	115	113	95	3
New Orleans Military & Maritime⁶	**	**
Warren Easton Senior High	220	220	55	32
Total	489	487 (99%)	277 (57%)	36 (7%)

Notes:

1) In addition to TOPS Opportunity, 4-year scholarships also include TOPS Performance and TOPS Honors.

2) Excludes alternative schools

3) OneApp is the centralized enrollment system for New Orleans public schools.

4) Although School Performance Scores have not been released yet, the state did release the number of failing schools this summer. Only 2 regular (non-alternative) high schools are failing – John McDonogh and Walter Cohen.

5) A school can have more graduates than seniors enrolled, as the number of grads includes juniors graduating early and students who take longer than 4 years (graduate the following fall) to complete the requirements.

6) This school does not have a graduating class yet.

7) L.B. Landry and O.P. Walker were merged in 2013 to form Landry Walker High School.

8) McDonogh 35 Career Academy is combined with McDonogh 35 High School.

High School Performance: Then and Now Or … Leslie’s Rant

New Orleans has made remarkable gains since 2005.

But this isn’t the real story.

High Schools Today

High School Performance: Then and Now
Or … Leslie’s Rant