Abbeville schools improve on state scores

The state’s Department of Education released School  Performance Scores and there have been many parish schools that have improved their scores in the 2012-13 year.
Two years ago all of Abbeville schools had a “D” performance score. No longer.
In two years Abbeville High has went from a “D” school to a “B” school. Abbeville High scored a 85.9.
J.H. Williams Middle School, another former “D” school in Abbeville, can now brag and say it is a “C” school with a 70.7 score.
Eaton Park Elementary is now a “C” school with a 77.1. Herod Elementary in Abbeville is Vermilion Parish’s only ‘D” school.
Vermilion Parish’s five high schools had scores of two “As” two “Bs” and one “C.”
Once again, Erath High had the highest score with a 107.6 for a “A” grade.
Right behind that school is North Vermilion High with 102.5 for an “A.”
Kaplan High scored a 87.9 for a “B” grade.
Gueydan High had a 82.8 for a “C” grade.
The middle schools in the parish had two “Bs” and a “C”.
Erath Middle scored a 98.4 for a “B” while Rene Rost Middle had a 93.4 for a “B” grade.
In the past, the top elementary schools in the parish have always been north of Abbeville. No longer. That honor now belongs to two schools south of Abbeville.
Seventh Ward Elementary was top elementary school in the parish with a 103. 2 score for the only “A” elementary grade. FIEB  had the second highest elementary score in the parish with a 97.3 or “B” grade.
The rest of the elementary school graders are:
Meaux Elementary (B - 96.0), Indian Bayou (B - 95.9), Cecil Picard Elementary (B - 93.5), Dozier Elementary  (B - 89.2),  Jessie Owens (B- 89.3),  Eaton Park (C - 77.1), Kaplan Elementary (C - 72.8) and Herod Elementary (D - 60.5).
According to the state, this year’s performance scores were done using a new simple scale. Under the new formula, letter grades are assigned on a simple scale - scores at or above 100 earn an “A” and scores below 50 earn an “F.”
Letter grade outcomes improved overall for the 2012-2013 school year because of record setting student achievement: 71 percent of students tested at Basic or above this year in ELA and math, graduation rates are at an all-time high, a record number of students earned college-entry ACT scores this year, and Louisiana students increased their AP participation more than any other state. As a result, Louisiana has more A and B schools than ever before with 14 percent of the state’s public schools receiving an A, and 29 percent receiving a B. The number of failing schools is at an all-time low, decreasing from 12 percent to 8 percent.