• Category 1

    Selected in 2024

  • Grades: k - 8
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 357,767
    Student Enrollment: 693
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 82.5%
    White/Caucasian: 0.5%
    Hispanic: 2%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 12%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 3%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:19
    % Reduced Lunch: 70%
    % ELL Learners: 1%
    Founded: 2006
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Mardele Early
  • CONTACT:
    11110 Lake Forest Blvd.
    New Orleans, LA 70128
    504-826-7140
    mearly@lakeforestcharter.org
Lake Forest Elementary Charter School
New Orleans, LA
"Having high expectations is the bedrock of our school community."
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
Lake Forest Elementary Charter School (LFECS), a 2013 & 2021 National Blue Ribbon School awardee, is a Type III charter school located in the eastern New Orleans area. Our families are as diverse in family structure, economic status, and educational levels as the city of New Orleans. Improving learning outcomes for individual students and subgroups of students through accelerated robust curricula, differentiation, arts integration, and other research-aligned practices falls within LFECS’s wheelhouse. LFECS is recognized as one of the top K-8 schools in Louisiana for high scholastic achievement and school growth. Additionally, our students actively participate in many extracurricular activities, clubs, and organizations. We offer strings, band, athletics, visual arts, drama, choir, dance, chess, and debate, which are just a sample of enrichment opportunities that nourish our students physically, socially, and culturally.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
Having high expectations is the bedrock of our school community. The notion that student achievement is consequentially influenced by what educators and parents expect of students is a widely held belief at LFECS. High expectations permeate throughout our mission, policies, and daily actions.
Expectations for academic achievement, behavior, and work ethic are established and consistently communicated to all students. Students are held to high standards regarding their personal contributions to the learning process. Furthermore, the mandate for excellence in creating conditions where our students can succeed extends to school leaders, teachers, parents, and the community at large.
Accompanying our high expectations are support systems and structures that are implemented with fidelity. Key initiatives that have challenged and supported our students’ academic growth include Eagle Extended Day, Saturday mathematics and writing camps, research projects, and high school course offerings.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
We utilize our ESEA funding to support and maximize teaching and learning in various ways that focus on teacher development, using technology as an instructional tool, and responding to the needs of diverse learners. ESEA allocations fund our Response to Intervention (RTI) Services, where interventionists implement a research-based approach that combines a focus on goals, bi-weekly progress monitoring, and rapid actions to address student needs. Several other ESEA-funded initiatives are implemented to support students and give them an academic advantage. For example, our Eagle Extended Day program allows us to shore up the foundational skills, close potential gaps, and monitor skill practice within a smaller setting. Eagle Extended Day is held twice a week after school. Additionally, our Saturday Writing and Math Camp focuses on elevating various skills: unraveling informational text, writing argumentative essays, citing text evidence, and solving mathematical multi-step problems.
4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
At LFECS, it is universally accepted that student achievement is predicated on the adults’ learning and growth. Job-embedded PD is utilized as a vehicle for developing and improving pedagogy. In addition to coaching and feedback, the curriculum team conducts weekly planning meetings and dedicated after-school PD days. Within our master school calendar, several days are earmarked as professional learning days, allowing for cross-curricular and multi-grade collaboration. More specifically, our school-based professional development focuses on data-informed instructional practices, differentiated teaching methods, and standard-aligned assessments. Additionally, LFECS prioritizes improving teachers’ digital dexterity and capacity to plan technology-rich lessons and engage students at high levels. Moreover, when seeking further development externally, funds are made readily available to assist teachers in pursuing these endeavors.
5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
We consistently tell our students that excellence, aspirations, innovations, and bold moves are a part of their personal culture and heritage and thereby strongly linked to who we are as a school—our school culture. Our instructional program has not undergone drastic alterations or cultural shifts. Instead, through forward-thinking, determination, relationship-building, attention given to learning differences, and an intense focus on teacher development, our program is incrementally evolving and expanding. Responding to changes in national and state learning standards, modifications to accountability requirements, and the evolution of technology, we have made necessary adjustments to meet the varied needs of our group of diverse learners. While doing so, we have maintained our traditional standard of excellence and high student achievement.

6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
Schools are extensions of the community. In partnership with families and the community, LFECS grounds our Eagles to become productive thinkers and doers within their own communities and the world. LFECS is intentional in its approach to the importance of connecting with its family units. One way we accomplish this is through our dynamic Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). As key stakeholders, parents’ commitment to supporting our school is not only highly encouraged, but it is required that they play an active role in their children’s education.
Additionally, we have long-standing relationships with community organizations that are vested in seeing all LFECS students succeed. These organizations support the school’s mission and vision through direct, hands-on collaboration. More specifically, their assistance aids in engaging all students in opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom, such as cultural activities and community-based programming.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2024

  • Grades: k - 8
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 357,767
    Student Enrollment: 693
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 82.5%
    White/Caucasian: 0.5%
    Hispanic: 2%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 12%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 3%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:19
    % Reduced Lunch: 70%
    % ELL Learners: 1%
    Founded: 2006
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Mardele Early
  • CONTACT:
    11110 Lake Forest Blvd.
    New Orleans, LA 70128
    504-826-7140
    mearly@lakeforestcharter.org