Is Howard School a good school?

Howard School ranks in the bottom 1.3% of Louisiana alternative schools.

How many students attend Howard School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 136 students attended Howard School.

What is the racial makeup of Howard School?

Students at Howard School are 55% White, 36% African American, 6% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

Howard School

Summary:

Howard School is an alternative public school located in Ruston, Louisiana, serving grades 2-12 with a total enrollment of 136 students. The school has a diverse student population, with 55.15% White, 36.03% African American, 1.47% Hispanic, and smaller percentages of other racial/ethnic groups.

Howard School's academic performance, as measured by LEAP test scores, is significantly lower than the state averages across multiple subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics (12-18%) and English Language Arts (21-35%) are well below the state averages (59% and 71%, respectively). Additionally, Howard School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 18.39% to 43.38% over the past three school years, and a very high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 58 to 90.6 over the same period, significantly higher than the typical student-teacher ratio in Louisiana schools.

When comparing Howard School to nearby schools, it is clear that the school is an outlier in terms of academic performance. For instance, D'Arbonne Woods Charter School, located about 20 miles away, consistently outperforms the state and Howard School across various subjects and grade levels. Additionally, the racial composition of Howard School's student population differs significantly from some of the nearby schools, such as Lincoln Preparatory School, which has a student population that is 93.2% African American, compared to Howard School's 36.03%. These disparities, along with the school's high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, suggest that Howard School faces unique challenges and may require specialized strategies and resources to effectively support its students and improve their educational outcomes.

Detail:

Public, Alternative 2-12

904 Deville Lane
Ruston, LA 71270

(318) 255-5763

District: Howard School

SchoolDigger Rank:
443^rd of 449 Louisiana Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,843

Student/teacher ratio: 90.6

Number of students: 136

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.1%

African American:

36.0%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.4%

See top rated Louisiana elementary schools

Compare Howard School to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Howard School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2014 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.24. (See more...)

Compare Details Howard School ranks worse than 98.7% of middle schools in Louisiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.65. (See more...)

Compare Details Howard School ranks worse than 89.5% of high schools in Louisiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.64. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (55.1%), African American (36%), two or more races (5.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 43.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Howard School is 90.6. (See more...)

Compare Howard School employs 1.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Howard School is $7,843.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Howard School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Howard School 443^rd of 449 Louisiana public middle schools. (See Howard School in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Howard School 298^th of 333 Louisiana public high schools. (See Howard School in the ranking list.)

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Rank History for Howard School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2014	3.24	766^th	777	1.4%

See the entire list of Louisiana Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Louisiana Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Howard School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2013	3.47	436^th	457	4.6%
2014	5.48	443^rd	470	5.7%
2015	6.23	457^th	482	5.2%
2016	3.10	418^th	435	3.9%
2017	1.91	427^th	437	2.3%
2018	2.99	401^st	411	2.4%
2019	3.55	437^th	449	2.7%
2021	15.56	392^nd	459	14.6%
2022	4.32	443^rd	460	3.7%
2023	4.83	449^th	465	3.4%
2024	2.65	443^rd	449	1.3%

See the entire list of Louisiana Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	61.97	52^nd	206	74.8%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2018	4.55	390^th	403	3.2%
2019	6.03	419^th	430	2.6%
2021	20.52	373^rd	455	18.0%
2022	5.72	440^th	458	3.9%
2023	7.73	436^th	459	5.0%
2024	1.75	441^st	444	0.7%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	14.54	385^th	441	12.7%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	9.11	406^th	442	8.1%
2024	5.82	411^th	426	3.5%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	2.33	349^th	350	0.3%
2021	12.17	337^th	358	5.9%
2022	2.25	358^th	362	1.1%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Louisiana Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Howard School

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Rank History for all high school students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2016	0.19	295^th	297	0.7%
2018	4.05	291^st	302	3.6%
2021	3.15	312^th	322	3.1%
2022	7.78	297^th	326	8.9%
2023	4.84	302^nd	321	5.9%
2024	8.64	298^th	333	10.5%

See the entire list of Louisiana Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	12.89	283^rd	322	12.1%
2023	3.95	310^th	321	3.4%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	11.71	275^th	311	11.6%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.80	277^th	306	9.5%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Howard School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	1.12	249^th	250	0.4%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Louisiana Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Louisiana Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Howard School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2011	26	52	0	1	0	0	1	80
2012	27	49	0	1	0	0	0	77
2013	39	56	0	2	1	0	2	100
2014	37	63	0	1	0	0	1	102
2015	39	65	0	1	0	0	0	105
2016	39	47	0	0	1	0	1	88
2017	34	46	0	0	1	0	0	81
2018	36	42	1	2	1	0	1	83
2019	49	32	0	1	0	0	2	84
2020	52	38	0	2	0	0	2	94
2021	54	30	0	4	1	1	4	94
2022	55	26	0	1	0	0	5	87
2023	75	49	0	2	2	0	8	136

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Howard School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	80	3.1	25.7	13.8
2012	77	n/a	n/a	11.7
2013	100	2.9	33.4	10
2014	102	2.9	34.1	31.4
2015	105	3.0	35.0	40
2016	88	6.0	14.6	n/a
2017	81	2.6	30.3	33.3
2018	83	12.0	6.9	9.6
2019	84	1.0	84.0	29.8
2020	94	1.0	94.0	51.1
2021	94	1.5	62.6	25.5
2022	87	1.5	58.0	18.4
2023	136	1.5	90.6	43.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Howard School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	80	3.1	25.7	13.8
2012	77	n/a	n/a	11.7
2013	100	2.9	33.4	10
2014	102	2.9	34.1	31.4
2015	105	3.0	35.0	40
2016	88	6.0	14.6	n/a
2017	81	2.6	30.3	33.3
2018	83	12.0	6.9	9.6
2019	84	1.0	84.0	29.8
2020	94	1.0	94.0	51.1
2021	94	1.5	62.6	25.5
2022	87	1.5	58.0	18.4
2023	136	1.5	90.6	43.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Howard School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$6,283
2021	$7,739
2022	$7,843

Data source: Louisiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Howard School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 437^th of 449 Middle schools	Ranks 449^th of 465 Middle schools	0.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Mathematics (Howard School)	16	21	5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Louisiana)	61	58	3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Howard School)	23	14	9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Louisiana)	72	67	5%
7th Grade Social Studies (Howard School)	8	21	13%
7th Grade Social Studies (Louisiana)	55	52	3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Howard School)	22	23	1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Louisiana)	53	47	6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Howard School)	44	24	20%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Louisiana)	71	70	1%
8th Grade Social Studies (Howard School)	32	24	8%
8th Grade Social Studies (Louisiana)	64	53	11%
End of Course English I (Howard School)	27	28	1%
End of Course English I (Louisiana)	71	67	4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	84	136	61.9%
African American	32	49	53.1%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	1	2	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	49	75	53.1%
Two or More Races	2	8	300%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	29.8%	43.4%	13.6%

Schools Near Howard School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				LEAP Mathematics (2024)							LEAP English Language Arts (2024)							LEAP Algebra I (2024)	LEAP Geometry (2024)	LEAP English II (2024)	LEAP U.S. History (2024)	LEAP English I (2024)	LEAP Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	LEAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	LEAP Mathematics 4th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 5th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 6th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 7th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 8th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	LEAP Algebra I End of Course	LEAP Geometry End of Course	LEAP English II End of Course	LEAP U.S. History End of Course	LEAP English I End of Course	LEAP Biology End of Course	Total
Howard School	Public, Alternative	2-12	904 Deville Lane	Ruston	71270	Lincoln Parish	Howard School	No	No	No	(n/a)	(318) 255-5763	136	2	90.6	43.4%	75 (55.1%)	49 (36.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.9%)								(n/a)					14.0	18.0	12.0					21.0	35.0		10.0	40.0			17.0		$7,843
Lincoln Preparatory School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1453 Martin Luther King Jr Ave	Grambling	71245	Lincoln Parish	Lincoln Preparatory School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(318) 242-8788	691	54	12.7	74.2%	8 (1.2%)	644 (93.2%)	15 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (3.3%)								(n/a)	27.0	41.0						21.0	44.0	38.0	28.0	39.0	48.0	35.0	29.0	20.0	47.0	31.0	44.0	27.0	$14,910
Simsboro High School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1 Tiger Drive	Simsboro	71275	Lincoln Parish	Lincoln Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 247-6265	554	37	14.9	70.4%	210 (37.9%)	243 (43.9%)	78 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.2%)								(n/a)	70.0	88.0	81.0	65.0	58.0	54.0	69.0	72.0	76.0	68.0	62.0	82.0	59.0	70.0	78.0	59.0	68.0	61.0	66.0	55.0	$14,397
Quitman High School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	181 Wolverine Drive	Quitman	71268	Jackson Parish	Jackson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 259-2698	785	46	17.0	46.2%	668 (85.1%)	78 (9.9%)	21 (2.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.0%)								(n/a)	62.0		88.0	65.0	83.0	74.0	73.0	73.0	66.0	88.0	78.0	83.0	79.0	78.0	65.0	63.0	83.0	76.0	66.0	83.0	$14,293
Downsville Community Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	4787 Highway 151	Downsville	71234	Union Parish	Union Parish	Yes	No	No	Yes	(318) 982-5318	507	31	16.1	29.8%	457 (90.1%)	7 (1.4%)	25 (4.9%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	10 (2.0%)								(n/a)	85.0	59.0	37.0	63.0	72.0	63.0	60.0		59.0	65.0	68.0	69.0	66.0	65.0	81.0	81.0	80.0	52.0	80.0	86.0	$15,354
Weston High School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	213 Highway 505	Jonesboro	71251	Jackson Parish	Jackson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 259-7313	646	41	15.6	58.5%	508 (78.6%)	86 (13.3%)	24 (3.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.7%)								(n/a)	51.0	68.0	47.0	56.0	65.0	58.0	58.0	46.0	66.0	58.0	64.0	71.0	46.0	59.0	77.0	56.0	72.0	48.0	80.0		$15,218
D'Arbonne Woods Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	9560 Hwy. 33	Farmerville	71241	Union Parish	D'Arbonne Woods Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(318) 368-8051	1,003	60	16.6	54.0%	797 (79.5%)	38 (3.8%)	121 (12.1%)	7 (0.7%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (3.4%)								(n/a)		79.0	71.0			92.0	85.0	84.0	69.0	70.0	77.0	82.0		80.0		91.0		71.0	91.0		$11,360

Howard School

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Rank History for Howard School

Rank History for Howard School

Rank History for all middle school students at Howard School

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Howard School

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Howard School

Rank History for middle school Female students at Howard School

Rank History for middle school Male students at Howard School

Rank History for middle school White students at Howard School

Rank History for Howard School

Rank History for all high school students at Howard School

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Howard School

Rank History for high school Female students at Howard School

Rank History for high school Male students at Howard School

Rank History for high school White students at Howard School

Enrollment information for Howard School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Howard School

Student/Teacher Ratio Howard School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Howard School

Impact of COVID-19 on Howard School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Howard School

Howard School

Lincoln Preparatory School

Simsboro High School

Quitman High School

Downsville Community Charter School

Weston High School

D'Arbonne Woods Charter School

Frequently Asked Questions about Howard School

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