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CONCORDIA PARISH, La. — The 2024 school performance scores released today by the Louisiana Department of Education show three out of 11 parish schools earned a score of B or higher, three earned a D or lower and six schools showed gains in their SPS while others lost points.

The highest performing schools in the district are Monterey High School with a 100.2 A, Vidalia High School with an 81.4 B, and Concordia Education Center with a 105.1 A.

Ferriday Lower Elementary received a 58.2 D, Ferriday Upper Elementary received a 56.1 D and Ferriday Junior High received a 49.2 F.

The six out of 11 schools in Concordia Parish that had gains in their school performance are as follows: Concordia Education Center, classified as an alternative school, grew from 96.9 to 105.1; Ferriday Lower Elementary grew from 51.8 to 58.2; Ferriday Upper Elementary grew from 55.7 to 56.1; Monterey High School grew from 94 to 100.2; Vidalia Junior High grew from 66.5 to 68.1, and Vidalia Lower Elementary grew from 72.8 to 74.2.

The schools with falling scores are as follows: Ferriday High School’s SPS fell from 72.1 to 66.9; Ferriday Junior High fell from 49.3 to 49.2; Vidalia High School fell from 83.7 to 81.4; Vidalia Upper Elementary fell from 77.1 to 74.2, and Delta Charter School fell from 77.7 to 72.3.

Vidalia Upper Elementary and Delta Charter also fell by one letter grade, from a B to a C, while the other schools maintained their letter grade.

Concordia Parish School Superintendent Toyua Bachus said “I am thrilled to share the incredible progress we have made together! These scores offer us a moment to celebrate our achievements, reflect on our challenges, and strengthen our practices to elevate student success even further,” in a press release.

“Our hard work over the past few years is paying off. We are excited to announce that the district’s ACT Index — a key component of the School Performance Score (SPS) — grew significantly this year, jumping 11 points from 55 to 66!”

Bachus pointed out individual schools with notable improvements in ACT scores, including Ferriday High School which had an ACT growth from 36.3 to 51.7, Monterey High School with ACT growth from 80.1 to 100.8 and Vidalia High School with ACT growth from 67 to 71.3.

Additionally, six parish schools were named “Top Gains Honorees” by LDOE, an honor awarded to schools earning an “A” in the Student Growth component of their SPS. These include Vidalia Upper with a growth score of 90.2; Vidalia Lower, 90.2; Ferriday Upper, 99.3; Ferriday Lower, 99.3; Monterey High School, 96.9; and Concordia Education Center, 110.

“All our elementary schools received this distinction, reflecting our district-wide commitment to student growth, teacher collaboration, and professional learning,” Bachus said.

Monterey High School also received the Opportunity Honoree recognition from the LDOE.

“Student growth continues to be a cornerstone of our mission,” Bachus said. “The growth component of the SPS reflects how individual students progress each year, and I am proud to report that no school in Concordia Parish has a growth score below a ‘C.’ Our overall district SPS increased from 71.7 to 72 this year, marking consistent improvement over the past three years—a testament to the dedication and hard work of our teachers, administrators, and staff.

We know there is still work to do. While we celebrate these milestones, we are committed to addressing specific challenges, including increasing the percentage of students scoring mastery or higher on LEAP assessments in all schools and improving the status of schools currently rated as ‘D’ or ‘F’ — Ferriday Lower Elementary, Ferriday Upper Elementary, and Ferriday Junior High.

“There is so much to be proud of in our district. From expanding high school course offerings to include theater, carpentry, agriculture, and graphic design, to fostering a renewed focus on clubs, organizations, and literature, our schools are buzzing with opportunity and innovation. We are so excited about the workspace we have given our teachers to collaborate during cluster meetings and share best practices with each other.

“I am beyond proud to serve as your Superintendent and look forward to celebrating our dedicated educators and staff at the 2nd Annual CPSB Awards Ceremony in January. Together, we will continue to lead, learn, and grow, building on our successes and addressing challenges head-on to create brighter futures for every student in Concordia Parish.”

According to LDOE, the statewide school performance score has increased for the third consecutive year. Louisiana’s 2024 statewide school performance score improved by nearly two points. The 2024 statewide score is 80.2, a 1.7 point increase from 2023 when the statewide score was 78.5.

“Louisiana students continue to make progress. A third consecutive year of growth is a testament to the many talented educators across our state and the student-first commitment from Governor Landry, the legislature, and our board,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley.

Louisiana has also achieved its highest national rankings ever, moving from 46th to 40th on the U.S. News & World Report Best States ranking.

Louisiana’s 4th graders led the country in reading growth and economically disadvantaged 4th graders improved from 42nd to 11th in reading on The Nation’s Report Card.

Louisiana is one of three states where average reading achievement in 2023 was above 2019 levels.

Louisiana ranked at the top of a national list recognizing states for adopting a comprehensive early literacy policy to provide students with the foundational reading skills to learn, graduate, and succeed.

Louisiana’s most recent cohort graduation rate increased.

Louisiana maintained LEAP gains made over the past two years on the most recent state assessments.

Louisiana students in grades K-3 improved their reading scores by 10 percentage points on the state’s first universal literacy screener.

Since 1999, the state has issued school performance scores for public schools, which are based on student achievement data. To clearly communicate the quality of school performance to families and the public, Louisiana adopted letter grades (A-F). All schools with sufficient data receive school performance scores.

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