Raquel Brown, principal of Woodlawn Middle School, told the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on 2025-05-01 that the school’s performance score rose to 73.8 and that the school has seen a 10-point gain in school performance between 2023 and 2024.

Brown said Woodlawn serves grades 6–8 and that the student body “is 67% economically disadvantaged. 58.3% of our students are African American, 21.4% are Hispanic, 15.6% are white and 3.9% are Asian.” She also reported subgroup figures: 8.7% of students have 504 plans, 9.9% receive ESS services and 11% are English language learners.

Brown said mastery/advanced rates in English language arts are highest, with about 45% of students scoring mastery or above, and that the school’s goal is 50% mastery in ELA and at least 30% in math, science and social studies. She described math growth as slower than desired and noted a dip in social studies after the state changed the assessment.

Brown described staffing challenges after the COVID-19 period, including a year with “10 intensive vacancies” that contributed to learning loss, and reiterated the need for certified teachers in gifted and other specialized programs. She said some teachers arrive under temporary authority to teach (TAT) and that additional certification requirements for gifted teachers can limit staffing options.

On resources, Brown said safety improvements would help: “If it’s from a safety standpoint, it would be two things. It would either be a controlled entranceway or it would be a scanner that wouldn’t pick up the Chromebook or the cell phone.” On academics she asked for more volunteers and skilled coaches to provide in-person support beyond computer programs.

Board members praised the school’s gains and asked questions about program mix and instructional practice. Board member Nathan Russ asked what had worked to serve a broad range of students; Brown pointed to diversity of programs and the role of talented arts and other specialized offerings in improving attendance and engagement. Cliff Lewis asked why ELA outpaced math; Brown cited the larger number of discrete math skills and differences in vacancy patterns between subjects.

Brown closed by quoting Aristotle: “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.” The presentation included introductions of school staff present, including assistant principal Donna Redmond Jackson and counselor Tara Washington.

Woodlawn’s presentation was given during the school presentation portion of the board meeting and received no formal board action.