• Category 1

    Selected in 2021

  • Grades: 9 - 12
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 227
    Student Enrollment: 1,150
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 76.7%
    White/Caucasian: 12%
    Hispanic: 7.5%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.4%
    Asian: 3.2%
    Native American: 0.2%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:17
    % Reduced Lunch: 85%
    % ELL Learners: 1%
    Founded: 2016
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Brandon Levatino
  • CONTACT:
    1105 Lee Dr
    Baton Rouge, LA 70808
    225-924-9406
    blevatino@ebrschools.org
Liberty High School
Baton Rouge, LA
Our students are brilliant and empathetic, our faculty is passionate and driven, and our culture is diverse and equitable."
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
Liberty is successful in many ways: our students are brilliant and empathetic, our faculty is passionate and driven, and our culture is diverse and equitable. Success at Liberty means more than just student scores. Success means athletes with 4.0 GPAs, thriving in their commitment to their teams and their academics. Success means thespians who take the skills they learned from theatre into the classroom. Success means first-generation high school graduates accepted to top universities on full scholarships.

Student achievements such as state and national recognition for our robotics program, acceptance as one of only twenty pilot schools to implement the new JROTC STEM curriculum, state officers in our extracurricular organizations such as the Junior Classical League, district and state championship athletic teams, and arts programs that are sought out by district and community members drive Liberty’s success.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
Liberty’s reconstitution as a dedicated STEAM magnet brought with it a robust partnership with Louisiana’s flagship university, LSU. The partnership with LSU has facilitated Liberty to be on the forefront of the development and implementation of state-wide STEM graduation pathways. Through this programming, Liberty has been able to focus curriculum and investment into the STEM pathways for Biomedical Sciences, Computing, Digital and Emergent Media, and Preengineering. Along with the STEM offerings, the addition of a vigorous offering of AP, Dual Enrollment, and Honors courses both core and elective, and a dedicated fine arts department all contributed to positive change on our campus and in our students’ lives. Through the partnership, we share access to the development of curriculum, share staff through the extern program, and benefit from professional development opportunities for teachers and off-campus experiences for our students.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
ESEA funding has allowed us to invest in curriculum material to both enrich learning and remediate gaps in student achievement. We have also been able to fund after school tutoring and support programs that have reduced failure rates and prepared students for end of course state testing. These supports have helped the school mitigate learning losses from COVID and invest in providing additional support for students during their high school transition. ESEA funding has allowed the school to invest in curriculum materials and technology as we have implemented and expanded Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment opportunities. Additionally, ESEA funding has been used to expand professional development opportunities, which continue to strengthen our pedagogy, cultural responsiveness, and data-driven instruction.
4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
We have taken advantage of a variety of professional development opportunities with our staff. Liberty has participated in district-wide content-driven professional development conferences focused on both content and teaching strategies in each discipline. Additionally, the school has invested time in bi-weekly job-embedded professional development that focuses on instructional practice and is driven by walk-through and observation feedback. Weekly district-led professional development each Tuesday with a variety of focuses is available to teachers. All advanced placement teachers also participated in Advanced Placement Training in their assigned course through various universities across the country. These faculty-wide opportunities are offered in addition to team and individual coaching that takes place throughout the school year.
5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
The most significant cultural shift the school experienced was the transition to a dedicated magnet. The shift focused the investment in the school and built a depth of programming within the magnet pathways. Once the school’s focus (STEAM) was validated, what followed was a student body with a common set of interests. The shared interests drove students to shared campus experiences, which strengthened student, family, and community pride in the school. The addition of athletic programming to a continued investment in the arts and a commitment to extracurricular opportunities for students built a motivated school community that recognizes achievements and builds on the established culture of excellence.
6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
One of the single most impactful community partnerships that has contributed to our success is our partnership with LSU. The collaborative partnership between Liberty Magnet and LSU expands our access to resources, people, opportunities, and funding. It also puts the staff in a position to be leaders in the expansion of STEM education in Louisiana. Many of the STEM curricula were constructed and piloted at Liberty Magnet High School.

We also benefit from business partnerships that invest incentives and resources into our students. The JROTC program has received a committed partnership from a cybersecurity firm that comes with a $5,000 investment in materials and supplies. Our athletic programs benefit from partnerships with new equipment, athlete care, and volunteer coaches. Our local civic and Greek organizations also invest human capital in the school to provide tutors, mentors, and volunteers.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2021

  • Grades: 9 - 12
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 227
    Student Enrollment: 1,150
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 76.7%
    White/Caucasian: 12%
    Hispanic: 7.5%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.4%
    Asian: 3.2%
    Native American: 0.2%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:17
    % Reduced Lunch: 85%
    % ELL Learners: 1%
    Founded: 2016
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Brandon Levatino
  • CONTACT:
    1105 Lee Dr
    Baton Rouge, LA 70808
    225-924-9406
    blevatino@ebrschools.org