Today the Louisiana Department of Education released school performance scores and letter grades for public schools across the state. We are excited by the strong growth and promising performance seen at schools in our community and those specifically supported by New Schools for Baton Rouge.Celerity Crestworth and Celerity Lanier, full turnaround schools operated by Celerity Louisiana since August 2014, posted impressive gains in their school performance scores, increasing 31.8 and 17.4 points respectively, representing some of the highest gains in the state by schools that have previously been among the lowest performing since accountability was introduced in 1999.Baton Rouge College Prep (5-6th grades) and Democracy Prep (K and 6th grades), both in their first year of operation during the 2015-16 school year, showed promising early performance, both earning a C letter grade. Each of these schools serve a student population that is more than 95% economically disadvantaged and are closing the attainment gap for our community’s most disadvantaged students.We are encouraged by the progress seen not only at these schools, but across Baton Rouge. Capitol High (+42 point increase), Celerity Crestworth (+31.8), Westdale Middle (+18.4), Crestworth Elementary (+17.9), and Southeast Middle (+17.5) all experienced the highest increases in their school performance scores from 2015 to 2016. Congratulations to the teachers, principals, parents, and families that have made this extraordinary growth possible.While these scores show promise and progress, they are also a reminder that we must continue to work as a community toward a city where every student has the opportunity to attend a great school. We are committed to partnering with our community and school officials to make that a reality.For more information on the 2015-2016 school performance scores and to see statewide data, visit www.louisianabelieves.com.