Louisiana’s miracle in post-Katrina schools continues

If charter schools not part of answer, then what is?

Kentucky needs to find out

The Louisiana Department of Education recently released its public school only analysis of ACT college entrance test scores for the graduating class of 2011.

There is some remarkable data in this release for the ‘Recovery School District’ schools in the state. These are the schools that were rebuilt from the flood-torn debris of Hurricane Katrina. Most, if not all, are reportedly charter schools.

Here is how the ACT Composite Score has trended since the RSD started to get separate reports in 2007.

Louisiana's RSD ACT Performance

Source Note: Data in table from annual reports available here.

Very simply, this is remarkable improvement. In fact, such a rise in scores could make me suspicious that cheating was in play except that the ACT, Incorporated is looking out for that sort of thing. Just ask the people who cheated in Perry County, Kentucky.

So, here is more evidence that the charter-school-heavy school recovery in Louisiana is making some really interesting progress on a test that means something.