Vermilion Parish high schools get Bronze Award from national magazine

Every high school in Vermilion Parish earned a Bronze award from U.S. News and World Report.
The publication released its list of Best Public Schools Tuesday morning.
Abbeville High, Erath High, Gueydan High, Kaplan High and North Vermilion High all brought home a Bronze award, which recognized the schools as performing at a high level in regard to state exams.
Delcambre High, which is part of the Iberia Parish School System, also received a Bronze ranking.
Jerome Puyau, Superintendent of Vermilion Parish Schools, commended all those whose efforts contributed to the students’ success.
“The hard work of our students and families and their commitment to education is inspiring,” Puyau said. “I sincerely appreciate the dedication of Vermilion Parish teachers, administrators, and support staff. It is evident that we are united in our efforts to provide quality education for all students. We are one school district working together.”
“We are . . . Vermilion.”
These are some of the district highlights of Vermilion Parish student achievements:
• 89% of Vermilion Parish students (including all five high schools) graduated, with a diploma, within four years compared to the state average of 75% and the national average of 81%.
Additionally, more than 80% of the district’s at-risk student population graduated in four years. It is important to note that state goal for a four year graduation rate for all students is 80% .
• The School Performance Scores (SPS) of three of the high schools were in the Top 25 among all traditional high schools in Louisiana. Erath High ranked 3rd, North Vermilion ranked 8th, and Kaplan High ranked 23rd. These three schools earned a letter grade of an A.
• Vermilion Parish ranked 2nd in the state with 77% of our students earning a proficient score on the 2014-15 End of Course (EOC) exams. The state average percent proficient on EOC exams was 62%. Students take EOC exams in Algebra I, Biology, English II, English III, Geometry, U.S. History.
• 76% of Vermilion Parish Graduates earned college credit through Dual Enrollment courses, compared to 28% in the state.
• Vermilion Parish graduates of 2015 had an average composite score of 19.7. This score is commensurate to the national average of 19.7 and is higher than the 19.2 composite score for the state. Vermilion Parish students ranked 11th in the state on 2014-15 ACT with an average composite score of 19.7.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Personnel, Paul Hebert, “The excellent scores that we are seeing today from our high schools are a credit to the effectiveness of our teachers and support systems at all grade levels. We have made a practice of hiring the best teachers and supporting them through our Curriculum Department and our school-based administrators who are the instructional leaders at our schools. Through the efforts of all staff members, our students achieve high levels of success.”
Ellen Arceneaux, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, commented, “It is the effort of all staff members each and every day that makes the difference in our students’ lives. This is evidenced in their achievements, not only in test scores, but also in their extracurricular activities, athletic endeavors, and community service. Our partnerships with various community agencies and business and industry have expanded the educational opportunities for all students. All of these factors contribute to the high number of students graduating from our high schools as young adults who are college and career ready.”