Baton Rouge Ochsner Discovery

Baton Rouge Ochsner Discovery is a public charter school in Baton Rouge, LA, serving 316 students in grades PK-8 under the Discovery Health Sciences Foundation district, where about 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school has experienced a steep and concerning decline over the past three years, dropping from the 67th percentile statewide to the 23rd percentile. Math proficiency has fallen dramatically, from 70% to just 45%, while nearby schools like Shenandoah Elementary School (78% math proficiency) and Woodlawn Elementary (76%) remain strong and stable. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 26.5% is notably higher than the state average (22.5%) and far exceeds rates at top-performing neighbors like Seventh Ward Elementary School (7.7%) and Parkview Elementary School (11.9%). Even Wedgewood Elementary School, just 1.33 miles away with a similar demographic, has shown more stable performance, while Ochsner's decline has been much more dramatic.

There are some bright spots: the school's English Language Arts (ELA) scores are closer to the state average, and in 6th and 8th grade ELA, students actually exceed state averages (83% vs. 74% and 75% vs. 69%, respectively). However, these strengths are overshadowed by significant challenges in math and social studies, particularly in 5th grade math (31% vs. 61% state) and 8th grade math (37% vs. 52% state). The school's performance for students who need the most support has also dropped sharply, and its middle school grades show an inconsistent pattern of success. Overall, this school requires urgent attention to reverse its downward trend and address widening achievement gaps.