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French Settlement Elementary Earns Blue Ribbon
Distinction
Local School
Continues to Exceed High Expectations
BATON ROUGE, La. – French Settlement
Elementary has earned the coveted distinction of
being named a National Blue Ribbon school.
The
prestigious honor, which is awarded by the U.S.
Department of Education, recognizes public and
private schools that are either academically
superior or have made dramatic gains in student
achievement and have helped close gaps in
achievement among minority and disadvantaged
students.
“We are very proud of the success of our students at
French Settlement Elementary.
This National Blue Ribbon award is a
well-deserved recognition of the school’s
outstanding performance, especially considering that
the school has 51.6 percent of its students
qualifying as economically disadvantaged,” said
Superintendent Bill Spear, who noted that children
who qualify for the state’s free and reduced lunch
program are considered to be economically
disadvantaged.
French Settlement Elementary is an elite three-star
school, which is a designation awarded by the state
to those schools who have attained a School
Performance Score of 100 or higher.
French Settlement Elementary last year had a
SPS of 107.2, which was higher than the lofty goal
set for it by the state.
The state set a growth target of 2.2 points for the
school, but it grew its overall performance rating
by 4.3 points from the previous year.
French Settlement Elementary also reached its
growth scores in all its subgroups, which include
students with disabilities, economically
disadvantaged and ethnic groups.
“The
school has continued to perform at or above a high
level of expectation,” said Alan Murphy, supervisor
of instruction for Livingston Parish Public Schools.
Cynthia Gill, principal of French Settlement
Elementary, said she has set high expectations for
her staff and students.
“You get what you expect, so we have set our
goals high, and we motivate each other to achieve,”
Gill said.
Gill is in her fourth year as principal of French
Settlement Elementary.
Since taking the helm, she has instituted two
student tutoring programs, one for students who have
low scores or who are struggling with their class
material, and another called “SWAT” (Students With
Advanced Training) for high-performing students who
are challenged to excel.
Murphy said students at French Settlement Elementary
performed well on the state’s most recent LEAP –
83.6 percent of all students taking the exam scored
proficient in English and language arts, while 80
percent of all students taking the exam scored
proficient in math.
The state average is 57.9 percent and 53.5
percent, respectively.
At the
same time, 38.2 percent of the students taking the
exam scored Mastery or Advanced in English and
language arts, while 34.2 percent of all students
scored Mastery or Advanced in math.
The
school also maintains one of the district’s highest
attendance rates with 95.3 percent of all students
at French Settlement Elementary attending on a given
school day.
“We really motivate our students to want to come to
school and to achieve.
They are rewarded for their behavior, their
attendance and their academic performance.
We try to make each day a fun, learning
experience,” Gill said.
French Settlement Elementary was one of only six
Louisiana
schools selected among the 314 schools on the 2009
list released by the U.S. Department of Education.
Louisiana’s other five
2009 Blue Ribbon Schools were Sherwood Middle
School, East Baton Rouge Parish; Ben Franklin High
School, Orleans Parish: L. J. Alleman Middle School,
Lafayette Parish; DeRidder Junior High, Beauregard
Parish; and Vidalia Junior High, Concordia Parish.
The school will received a plaque and flag from the
U.S. Department of Education during the National
Blue Ribbon Awards Conference in
Washington,
D.C., on Nov. 3.
Gill said the French Settlement Elementary
will hold its own special celebration ceremony at
the school on Nov. 20.
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