New Orleans High Schools Lag K-8s' Achievement, Cowen Institute Brief Says

Most high schools in New Orleans, the majority of which are charter schools, have gotten better but aren’t keeping up with improvements in elementary and middle schools, “leaving many successful eighth grade students to attend failing public high schools,” according to a new research brief from the Cowen Institute at Tulane University.

The October 2010 report, “Surveying the Public High School Landscape in New Orleans,” also says that academic achievement among the 29 high schools, 18 of which are charters, varies widely, and that the demographics of enrollment have changed little. A small number of high-performing, selective admissions schools enroll significantly fewer minorities and low-income students as compared to the schools attended by the majority of students.

The brief's purpose is to present an assessment of the current status of public high schools. It also offers a range of performance charts and a list of the schools.