St. Landry Parish high school graduation rates improving

High school graduation rates for St. Landry Parish matched the state rate for the 2013-14 school year, according to information released by the Louisiana Department of Education.
Louisiana’s four-year high school graduation rate achieved a record high in 2014, increasing for the fourth straight year to reach 74.6 percent, a 1.1 percentage point increase from 2013 and a 3.2 percentage point increase since 2011, the department reported.
St. Landry Parish’s 2013-14 graduation rate of 74.6 percent, which matched the state rate, is a 9.2 percent increase over the previous school year.
In Acadia Parish, the 2013-14 graduation rate was 85.2 percent, a 3.8 percent increase over the previous year.
In Evangeline Parish, the 2013-14 graduation rate was 67.1 percent, a 1.6 percent decrease from the previous rate.
The state’s 2014 graduation rate of 74.6 percent marks a nearly 10 percentage point increase in less than a decade, the department reported.
In the class of 2014, nearly 1,600 more students graduated than did in the class of 2013, and nearly 3,440 more students than in 2011.
The education department stated of the nearly 1,600 additional students graduating in 2014, more than 1,200 are of a minority racial group and more than 1,230 are from low-income backgrounds. Graduation rates for students of color improved by 2 percentage points, nearly doubling the state’s overall improvement. From 2013 to 2014, the graduation rate for students with disabilities also significantly improved, seeing a 6.1 point increase.
State Superintendent John White said, “This increase in the number of students graduating from high school in four years is a great sign for our state and a true testament to the hard work and devotion teachers, principals, and families across Louisiana.”
White added, “The increases realized by our districts and schools are more evidence our state cannot afford to go backwards.”
Since the 2007-08 school year St. Landry Parish lagged behind the state graduation, but has shown year-to-year improvement in its graduation rate. The parish rates and state rates are:
2007-08: 63.9 percent parish; 66.3 percent state.
2008-09: 66.9 percent parish; 67.3 percent state.
2009-10: 67.5 percent parish; 71.4 percent state.
2010-11: 64.8 percent parish; 72.3 percent state.
2011-12: 65.4 percent parish; 73.5 percent state.
Edward Brown, parish superintendent of schools, was unavailable for comment.
Anthony Standberry, parish School Board president, said the graduation rate is encouraging as a board member.
“This system has been doing all that we possibly can,” he said. “We have some people in place that are working with math skills, English skills. The system has been making all the effort that we can possibly can as a system to move forward and also increase our graduation rate and also decrease our dropout rate.”
Standberry said possibly students realize a high school education and vocational training or a college degree improves a person’s life.