Jefferson Parish Public School System

2025-002 Title I Special Tests and Provisions Program: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Assistance Listing Number 84.010. Grant Number(s): 28-24-T1-26 Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions – Annual Report Card, High School Graduation Rate Criteria: Policies and procedures should exist to verify accurate student graduation records are maintained and proper classification of student withdrawals is reported. To remove a student from the cohort, a school or LEA must confirm, in writing, that the student transferred out, emigrated to another country, transferred to a prison or juvenile facility, or is deceased. To confirm that a student transferred out, the school or LEA must have official written documentation that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma. Condition: During year ended June 30, 2025, in our sample of 40 student withdrawals, we identified 3 incidences in which students were reported to have withdrawn from the School System and removed from the graduation rate cohort at the State level, however the School System did not meet the Cohort Requirement of keeping the appropriate documentation of students that drop before graduation. For the 3 students identified, there was no record of the students on file, thus no evidence of a student file maintained by the School System. No documentation was available to support the withdrawal code and purpose of withdrawal. Cause: The School System personnel did not maintain accurate and current records and thus could not provide any documentation or support evidencing students which were not on file. Effect: The School System has no record of withdrawal or the purpose of withdrawal for 3 students previously documented as attending school within the School System and thus cannot confirm proper removal from the graduation rate cohort at the State level and under the correct withdrawal code. Questioned Costs: None. Repeat Finding: Yes, repeat of findings 2024-001 and 2023-003. Recommendation: We recommend the School System establish procedures to ensure appropriate documentation is obtained related to removal of students from a cohort in accordance with Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28, Part LXXXIII, Chapter 6, §611. View of Responsible Officials: The teaching and learning department provided training to involved parties beginning with the 2024-25 school year. Trainings will continue to occur as adequate processes have been developed.

The District will continue to provide training to involved parties to ensure that previously developmed processes continue to be followed.

2024-001

20024-001 Title I Special Tests and Provisions Program: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Assistance Listing Number 84.010. Grant Number(s): 28-23-T1-26 Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions – Annual Report Card, High School Graduation Rate Criteria: Policies and procedures should exist to verify accurate student graduation records are maintained and proper classification of student withdrawals is reported. To remove a student from the cohort, a school or LEA must confirm, in writing, that the student transferred out, emigrated to another country, transferred to a prison or juvenile facility, or is deceased. To confirm that a student transferred out, the school or LEA must have official written documentation that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma. Condition: During year ended June 30, 2024, in our sample of 40 student withdrawals, we identified 8 incidences of inaccurate student records where students were reported to have withdrawn from the School System and removed from the graduation rate cohort at the State level, however the School System did not meet the Cohort Requirement of keeping the appropriate documentation of students that drop before graduation. For the 8 students identified, there was no record of the students on file, thus no evidence of a student file maintained by the School System. No documentation was available to support the withdrawal code and purpose of withdrawal. Cause: The School Board personnel did not maintain accurate and current records and thus could not provide any documentation or support evidencing students which were not on file. Effect: The School Board has no record of withdrawal or the purpose of withdrawal for eight students previously documented as attending school within the School System and thus cannot confirm proper removal from the graduation rate cohort at the State level and under the correct withdrawal code. Questioned Costs: None. Repeat Finding: Yes. Recommendation: We recommend the School Board establish procedures to ensure appropriate documentation is obtained related to removal of students from a cohort in accordance with Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28, Part LXXXIII, Chapter 6, §611.

The teaching and learning department provided training to involved parties beginning with the 2023-24 school year. Trainings will continue to occur as adequate processes have been developed.

2023-003

2023-003 Title I Special Tests and Provisions Program: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Assistance Listing Number 84.010. Grant Number(s): 28-23-T1-26 Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions – Annual Report Card, High School Graduation Rate Criteria: Policies and procedures should exist to verify accurate student graduation records are maintained and proper classification of student withdrawals is reported. To remove a student from the cohort, a school or LEA must confirm, in writing, that the student transferred out, emigrated to another country, transferred to a prison or juvenile facility, or is deceased. To confirm that a student transferred out, the school or LEA must have official written documentation that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma. Condition: During year ended June 30, 2023, in our sample of 40 student withdrawals, we identified 6 incidences of inaccurate student records where students were reported to have withdrawn from the School System and removed from the graduation rate cohort at the State level, however the School System did not meet the Cohort Requirement of keeping the appropriate documentation of students that drop before graduation. For the 6 students identified, there was no record of the students on file, thus no evidence of a student file maintained by the School System. No documentation was available to support the withdrawal code and purpose of withdrawal. Cause: The School Board personnel did not maintain accurate and current records and thus could not provide any documentation or support evidencing students which were not on file. Effect: The School Board has no record of withdrawal or the purpose of withdrawal for six students previously documented as attending school within the School System and thus cannot confirm proper removal from the graduation rate cohort at the State level and under the correct withdrawal code. Questioned Costs: None. Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Board establish procedures to ensure appropriate documentation is obtained related to removal of students from a cohort in accordance with Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28, Part LXXXIII, Chapter 6, §611.

Enrollment data reflects that many of our students did not return in the school years immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of fewer students returning and graduating on time resulted in a significant decline in the cohort membership. • In the 21-22 school year, 2,236 seniors were enrolled; however, the freshmen class of 18-19 commenced with 3,574 students. • The cohort membership shifted from a freshmen class of 3,574 to a senior class of 2,236. As a result, the following plan is outlined to address the grad rate concerns. Data Analysis • Identify trends: codes most frequently used, subpopulation of students. • Create a profile of students that are exiting that develop a monitoring/warning system. • Meet with principals to discuss the impact of grad cohort on school and district SPS. • Office hours for schools requiring additional support. Inter-departmental collaboration • Engage with other departments to discuss attendance trends and impact on respective department. • Form committee to work collaboratively to address the concerns. • Train appropriate staff members (clerical staff, student support, attendance/truancy/hearing officers). Protocols • Analyze available codes in JCampus to be sure that codes not used in the district are disabled. • Develop process to ensure that all schools are using the proper codes used for exiting students. • Discuss and update the process for “no show” students. • Utilize the Louisiana e-scholar database to search for students appearing on state dropout rosters. • Contact neighboring districts to obtain verification of enrollment documents. • Engage in discussion with the state and SIS to improve measure to locate students appearing in duplicate schools. • Train appropriate staff members on updated protocols. Timeline and Specific Next Steps with Schools: 1. For schools that did not have the proper documentation to support the legitimate leave code, schools will send their school level protocol and process for securing documentation for legitimate leavers to the Executive Director of High School for a review by January 10, 2023. 2. Directors on our Data Management team will review the protocols and processes that schools sent and provide feedback by January 19th. 3. Training and support will be provided directly to schools in order to improve practices at the school level during the weeks of January 22-26 and January 29-February 2nd, 2024.