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NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana Department of Education 2018-2019 school performance scores (SPS) show that InspireNOLA Charter Schools made incredible growth and once again outperformed the Orleans Parish district average.
“I am humbled by the dedication and effort I see from our staff and students every day,” said Jamar McKneely, InspireNOLA CEO. “Our scores and performance growth prove that students will rise to the challenge and defy the odds when given the means to do so.”
Overall, InspireNOLA achieved 4 points of growth, increasing from a 70.8 SPS to a 74.8 SPS.
“InspireNOLA continues to ensure a quality education is provided to more than 5,000 scholars every day,” said Wylene Sorapuru, InspireNOLA Chief Academic Officer. “Each one of our more than 500 employees is driven by a desire to ensure success for every student.”
All four InspireNOLA elementary schools — Alice M. Harte, Andrew Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and 42 Charter School — received A grades for progress.
Dwight D. Eisenhower increased its letter grade to a C in just one year as part of the InspireNOLA network. And with an SPS increase of more than 12 points from 51.5 to 63.8, it demonstrated the most growth of any elementary school in the Orleans Parish.
“For our students to make such progress in just one year shows that transformation in education is possible, and students will excel when given the right teachers, tools, and support,” McKneely said.
42 Charter School earned a C letter grade for the first time in a decade. It is also the one of the highest growth elementary schools in the city, with a 10 point SPS increase from 51 to 60.9.
"When I see my peers doing better, I want to do better. We motivate each other to do well, and that's why we've grown so much," said 42 Charter School eighth grader, Tatyana Quinn.
Andrew Wilson Charter School ranked 7 out of 44 elementary schools, placing it in the top 20 percent of open-enrollment elementary schools across the city. Prior to InspireNOLA assuming operation in 2015, Wilson was ranked as the second lowest performing school in New Orleans. In just five years under InspireNOLA, Wilson exceled and has achieved a C letter grade.
“The scholars of Wilson have achieved a remarkable accomplishment,” McKneely said.
Alice Harte Elementary continues to shine as one of the top three open-enrollment schools in the city, once again achieving a B letter grade and an A progress grade.
Both high schools – Edna Karr and Eleanor McMain — rank in the top 5 for open enrollment high schools in the city.
Edna Karr High School, the second-ranked open-enrollment high school in the city, achieved an A letter grade for the fifth year in a row – one of only 69 schools across the state that received an A letter grade in 2019.
“Karr has been an A school throughout my entire high school career. This motivates me and gives me a reason to come here every day knowing that our hard work isn't going unnoticed,” said Karr senior, Constance Davis.
Eleanor McMain Secondary School is ranked in the top five open-enrollment schools in the city, outscoring both the city and the state in SPS and achieving a B letter grade for a second year under InspireNOLA.
"I'm proud of our accomplishments, and I can't wait for us to excel even more,” said McMain student Ranija Gaines, Class of 2020. “I am happy to say I am going to graduate from McMain. It's an excellent school where all of my classmates put forth a lot of effort to showcase their full potential."
InspireNOLA Charter Schools operates a network of seven public charter schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 2013, InspireNOLA is currently the highest performing open-admission charter management organization in New Orleans and is the only network with one A-graded school and two B-graded schools. InspireNOLA currently serves more than 5,000 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade.