Delta Charter School gets ‘B’

Published 12:06 am Monday, January 11, 2016

FERRIDAY — Delta Charter School received high marks in statewide test results recently, moving from a C grade to a B and receiving a designation as a Top Gains School.

“It is definitely a point of pride,” Headmaster of Student Activities Buddy Givens said.

The school received the Top Gains School designation since it had a significant jump in its school performance scores from the Louisiana Department of Education, moving from 80.1 points for 2013-2014 to 92.6 for 2014-2015.

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Givens, who just became principal this year, said he admired the administrators and staff who were there the previous year.

“We have a wonderful staff here, and we’re just going to do our best to make sure that we can always feel good about any standard of measurement that is presented to us,” Givens said.

And, while the grade change is good news, Givens said the school isn’t going to rest on its laurels. Ten of the points were bonus points, awarded when several students scored higher than the state predicted.

The state determines whether or not to award the points, and can change the requirements for receiving them next year.

“These bonus points are good, but it’s hard to keep them every year,” Givens said.

In the future, Givens said he expects to see a steady two-, three- or four-point increase each year.

But Givens also said he expects to see the school score an A. One reason for that is that, in the coming years, the school will welcome seniors into its halls.

Every year, Delta Charter gains a new grade. Once graduating seniors are added to the school’s population, Delta Charter will receive points based on criteria such as graduation rate.

“That’s why I’m saying in the next few years I certainly expect us to have great scores within that two-year frame,” Givens said.