Dubach on the Rise

In a school district that collectively saw the most growth in student achievement in Louisiana this spring, the most improved individual site was none other than Dubach School.

After being the parish’s lone “D” graded school and nearly being shut down just a few years ago, Dubach has now increased its percentage of students scoring as proficient in core classes in three consecutive school years in which testing took place.

In 2023, 40% of Dubach School’s students scored in the Mastery or Advanced categories on their end-ofyear LEAP tests, which is what the state counts as “proficient.”

That’s up 8 percentage points from the school’s 32% proficiency rate in 2022 — two points more than the next fastest growing school in the parish.

“That makes it all worth it,” Principal Tiffany Curry said. “Hats off to everybody: our teachers, our students, our stakeholders. We set the bar, and they met it and surpassed it.”

From 2019 to 2023, Dubach’s proficiency rate has steadily increased each year from 26% to the current 40%, with the biggest jump forward coming this spring. The COVID- 19 pandemic prevented LEAP tests from being taken in 2020.

Dubach had a “D” letter grade from the state Department of Education during that time until it rose to a “C” in 2022.

“It’s huge for Dubach,” Superintendent Ricky Durrett said. “ From where they were a few years ago as a D school to where we think they’re going to be now (when school performance scores are released). It’s going to be really great growth, and a real testament to what Tiffany Curry’s done up there, what (previous principal) Michelle Thrower did up there, and the teachers.”

Rising from the cellar of the parish, Dubach’s 40% proficiency rate is now in the top half of the district.

The upward trend is particularly pronounced in English Language Arts. This year 49% of Dubach students tested as proficient in that subject, up a whopping 14 percentage points from 35% in 2022.

“When I got there in 2020 as a coordinating teacher, we were a D school,” Curry said. “Our focus that year was reading. We harped on, we have to teach these kids how to read. They need to know how to read. We really pushed our Tier 1 curriculum in K-2 because we have to have a solid foundation.” It appears the renewed focus on literacy paid dividends. Curry credited Darmecia Crane, who took her place as coordinating teacher when Curry became principal, as the “literacy guru” for grades 3-5.

“She really was able to get into classrooms, make sure our instructional time was protected, and teach our children at those grade levels that you know how to read, because you’ve been doing it for three years now, but let me see you express that in writing.”

In addition to overall school letter grades, which will be coming out later this year, the state gives “assessment index” grades for test scores in each core subject.

Prior to the COVID pandemic, Dubach held an F in science, an F in social studies, an F in math and a C in ELA.

Now it has a B in ELA, C’s in math and science, and a D in social studies, though the school saw a significant 11 points of growth in social studies this spring.

In early 2020 the school district, under previous Superintendent Mike Milstead, momentarily intended to close the K-5 school and send its students to Ruston elementary schools.

But after an impassioned meeting with parents and community members, Milstead revoked the decision.

Dubach Mayor Mona Wilson said she and the community were excited to see the positive results from the school’s students.

“We were not surprised because we have very good teachers there,” Wilson said. “And students get one-on-one time with the teachers. But we were very excited, and the town is doing everything it can to let people know.”

She said Town Hall is providing a water bottle for every Dubach School student this year and a lunch container for every staff member as a way of showing appreciation for their work.

Curry and Durrett credited the Boys and Girls Club program held at the school as another factor in students’ academic success, providing a childcare option for working parents and a reliable place for students to study and do homework.

That program launched in the fall of 2021 after the town government provided funding to pay staff for the first year.