Capital Region districts have increased the number of schools performing above a C grade, growing from 44% to 53%, according to the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s Regional Education and Talent Report released Thursday morning.
The report, which is produced annually by the chamber, examined a broad array of information for parish, city and community schools for the 2016-2017 school year.
Overall, Capital Region Early Childhood Education networks, serving children from birth to two years old, increased from 82% to 91% in 2019, according to the report.
Pointe Coupee Parish’s early childhood network serves the most at-risk children younger than three years old in the region, increasing the percentage of children served from 30% to 49% in 2019. Meanwhile, both East Feliciana Parish and Zachary decreased the percentage of at-risk young children enrolled in their systems.
Other key takeaways:
• Four Capital Region districts increased their letter grades—Central Community Schools, as well as West Feliciana, West Baton Rouge and Iberville parishes.
• Zachary School District remains the top-performing district in the state, with a score of 95.9 out of 150. Ascension Parish trailed in second with 92.3 points.
• The percentage of Capital Region students scoring mastery or above on state assessments in fourth and eighth-grade math increased from 33% to 44%.
BRAC’s annual report is now being released by the organization in two parts. The first part, released Thursday morning, focuses on the region’s early childhood networks and K-12 systems, while the second part will examine school choice performance, college and career readiness, system attributes and the current post-secondary talent supply. Read the full report.
