New Orleans Education: Fast Facts
In the years since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has become the national epicenter of public education reform. Today the once traditional public school system is home to an ever changing and robust education landscape.
• There are two governing boards: the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).
• For the 2012 school year, 72 of the 90 public schools are charter schools. This represents a higher proportion of charter schools than any other school district in the country. Charter schools educate over 83 percent of the city’s children.
• For the 2014 school year, the Recovery School District has closed the remainder of its failing traditional public schools, making it the first all-charter district in the United States. Six traditional schools still operate under the OPSB.
• Before Hurricane Katrina, the state transferred the city’s failing schools from the Orleans Parish School Board to the Recovery School District (RSD). After Katrina, 102 of the city’s worst-performing public schools were transferred to the Recovery School District.
• School Performance Scores (SPS) for 2012 show a continuation of performance gains by New Orleans students. An analysis using typically reported data shows the percent of students scoring at or above basic increased three percentage points to 51 percent, up from 48 percent in 2011 for the RSD. For that same period, the OPSB’s performance held steady at 82 percent.
• In 2014, the Jump Start Career Education program will allow school districts, colleges, and businesses to collaborate in providing career courses and workplace experiences to high school students, certifying them for the career fields most likely to lead to high-wage jobs. Jump Start will be an elective path for students pursuing a university-preparatory diploma, and a required path for students pursuing a Career Diploma. Click here for more information!