Walter L. Cohen High School

Summary:

Walter L. Cohen High School is a public charter high school in New Orleans, Louisiana, serving 338 students in grades 9-12. The school has a predominantly African American student body, with 77.81% of students identifying as African American in the 2022-2023 school year. The school is part of the Walter L. Cohen High School District, which is ranked 112 out of 122 districts in Louisiana and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Walter L. Cohen High School consistently underperforms compared to the state average on standardized tests, with proficiency rates ranging from 26% to 39% across various subject areas, while the state averages ranged from 57% to 66%. The school's performance on standardized tests also varies greatly across different student subgroups, with African American and Hispanic students consistently underperforming compared to their peers. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's African American students ranked 152 out of 260 Louisiana high schools, while the Hispanic students ranked 110 out of 113 high schools. The school's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 51.82% to 82.84% over the past three school years, suggests that the school serves a predominantly low-income community, which likely contributes to its academic challenges.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Thomas Jefferson High School for Advanced Studies and Belle Chasse High School, Walter L. Cohen High School's academic performance is significantly lower. These nearby schools, which serve more diverse student populations, demonstrate higher proficiency rates and statewide rankings, suggesting that Walter L. Cohen High School may benefit from learning from their best practices. Additionally, the school's declining enrollment and statewide ranking over the past three school years, from 220 out of 321 Louisiana high schools in 2022-2023 to 296 out of 333 in 2023-2024, indicate that the school may be facing challenges in attracting and retaining students.

Detail:

Public, Charter 9-12

3575 Baronne St.
New Orleans, LA 70115

(504) 503-1400

District: Walter L. Cohen High School

SchoolDigger Rank:
296^th of 333 Louisiana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,423

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 406

Racial breakdown:

African American:

66.7%

Hispanic:

28.6%

White:

4.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Walter L. Cohen High School ranks worse than 88.9% of high schools in Louisiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.67. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (66.7%), Hispanic (28.6%), White (4.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Walter L. Cohen High School is 11.2. (See more...)

Compare Walter L. Cohen High School employs 36.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Walter L. Cohen High School is $15,423.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Walter L. Cohen High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Walter L. Cohen High School 296^th of 333 Louisiana public high schools. (See Walter L. Cohen High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Walter L. Cohen High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Walter L. Cohen High School 112^th of 122 Louisiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Walter L. Cohen High School

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Rank History for all students at Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2022	23.19	253^rd	326	22.4%
2023	33.87	220^th	321	31.5%
2024	9.67	296^th	333	11.1%

See the entire list of Louisiana High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	89.27	2^nd	34	94.1%
2024	19.92	44^th	50	12.0%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2021	21.38	106^th	135	21.5%
2022	23.83	108^th	139	22.3%
2023	21.06	113^th	138	18.1%
2024	41.84	94^th	165	43.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2021	19.43	236^th	285	17.2%
2022	31.01	225^th	322	30.1%
2023	41.98	193^rd	321	39.9%
2024	12.85	287^th	328	12.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2021	17.25	244^th	288	15.3%
2022	22.07	249^th	311	19.9%
2023	36.48	210^th	308	31.8%
2024	8.49	282^nd	308	8.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2021	16.07	244^th	292	16.4%
2022	25.50	229^th	301	23.9%
2023	31.87	206^th	306	32.7%
2024	14.17	271^st	315	14.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2021	32.89	165^th	243	32.1%
2022	50.32	117^th	256	54.3%
2023	54.32	103^rd	252	59.1%
2024	40.56	152^nd	260	41.5%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2021	12.07	83^rd	92	9.8%
2022	4.39	102^nd	103	1.0%
2023	36.98	73^rd	107	31.8%
2024	3.85	110^th	113	2.7%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Hispanic 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 Walter L. Cohen High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2019	0	144	2	13	2	0	161
2020	2	217	2	24	14	0	259
2021	6	278	2	37	5	2	330
2022	11	310	2	37	4	3	367
2023	10	263	1	61	3	0	338
2024	17	271	0	116	2	0	406

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 Walter L. Cohen High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	161	9.0	17.8	71.4
2020	259	16.0	16.1	73.7
2021	330	24.0	13.7	51.8
2022	367	29.0	12.6	82.3
2023	338	31.3	10.7	82.8
2024	406	36.1	11.2	73.4

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 Walter L. Cohen High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	161	9.0	17.8	71.4
2020	259	16.0	16.1	73.7
2021	330	24.0	13.7	51.8
2022	367	29.0	12.6	82.3
2023	338	31.3	10.7	82.8
2024	406	36.1	11.2	73.4

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 Walter L. Cohen High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2021	$13,717
2022	$15,423

Data source: Louisiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Walter L. Cohen High 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	161	338	109.9%
African American	144	263	82.6%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	13	61	369.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	0	10
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	71.4%	82.8%	11.4%

Schools Near Walter L. Cohen High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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
Walter L. Cohen High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3575 Baronne St.	New Orleans	70115	Orleans Parish	Walter L. Cohen High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(504) 503-1400	406	36	11.2	73.4%	17 (4.2%)	271 (66.7%)	116 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.7	296^th of 333 public high schools	11.1%		33.9	220^th of 321 public high schools	31.5%	76	39.0	26.0	32.0	34.0	26.0	35.0	$15,423
Sophie B. Wright Institute of Academic Excellence	Public, Charter	6-12	1426 Napoleon Avenue	New Orleans	70115	Orleans Parish	Sophie B Wright Institute of Academic Excellence	Yes	No	No	Yes	(504) 304-3916	553	29	19.1	74.3%	3 (0.5%)	496 (89.7%)	48 (8.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)								(n/a)
The NET Charter High School	Public, Charter	8-12	1614 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd	New Orleans	70113	Orleans Parish	The NET Charter High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(504) 267-9060	274	9	29.9	69.0%	11 (4.0%)	226 (82.5%)	27 (9.9%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)								(n/a)
Opportunities Academy	Public, Charter	12	2625 Thalia St.	New Orleans	70113	Orleans Parish	Opportunities Academy	Yes	No	No	(n/a)	(504) 503-1421	84	13	6.5	81.0%	2 (2.4%)	78 (92.9%)	3 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)								(n/a)							$53,737
Eleanor McMain Secondary School	Public, Charter	8-12	5712 South Claiborne Avenue	New Orleans	70125	Orleans Parish	Eleanor McMain Secondary School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(504) 324-7500	731	58	12.6	75.8%	4 (0.5%)	685 (93.7%)	31 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (1.0%)	43.3	196^th of 333 public high schools	41.1%		18.6	261^st of 321 public high schools	18.7%	65	56.0	47.0	55.0	53.0	78.0	53.0	$15,356
Booker T. Washington High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1201 South Roman St.	New Orleans	70125	Orleans Parish	KIPP Booker T. Washington	Yes	No	No	Yes	(504) 410-5289	637	40	15.9	86.0%	6 (0.9%)	577 (90.6%)	35 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)								(n/a)
International High School of New Orleans	Public, Charter	9-12	727 Carondelet Street	New Orleans	70130	Orleans Parish	Voices for International Business & Education	Yes	No	No	Yes	(504) 613-5703	439	27	16.2	59.9%	23 (5.2%)	244 (55.6%)	154 (35.1%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (2.7%)	19.2	271^st of 333 public high schools	18.6%		27.5	238^th of 321 public high schools	25.9%	33	33.0		50.0	41.0	42.0	46.0	$16,891
Jcfa	Public, Charter	9-12	475 Manhattan Blvd	Harvey	70058	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	Yes	No	No	Yes	(504) 410-3121	142	3	41.1	63.4%	26 (18.3%)	70 (49.3%)	40 (28.2%)	2 (1.4%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	26.3	250^th of 333 public high schools	24.9%		43.1	192^nd of 321 public high schools	40.2%	58			41.0	50.0			$28,208
Young Audiences Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1000 Burmaster St.	Gretna	70053	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	Yes	No	No	Yes	(504) 304-6332	596	33	18.0	79.9%	79 (13.3%)	392 (65.8%)	98 (16.4%)	6 (1.0%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.7%)	21.8	265^th of 333 public high schools	20.4%		24.6	244^th of 321 public high schools	24.0%	21	37.0	38.0	56.0	31.0	54.0	43.0	$18,242
West Jefferson High School	Public	9-12	2200 Eighth Street	Harvey	70058	Jefferson Parish	Jefferson Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(504) 368-6055	1,707	79	21.5	55.7%	102 (6.0%)	708 (41.5%)	822 (48.2%)	34 (2.0%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (2.2%)	26.9	248^th of 333 public high schools	25.5%		28.8	233^rd of 321 public high schools	27.4%	15	39.0	44.0	49.0	56.0	48.0	44.0	$15,054

Frequently Asked Questions about Walter L. Cohen High School

How many students attend Walter L. Cohen High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 406 students attended Walter L. Cohen High School.

What district is Walter L. Cohen High School in?

Walter L. Cohen High School

Is Walter L. Cohen High School a good school?

Walter L. Cohen High School ranks in the bottom 11.1% of Louisiana high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Walter L. Cohen High School?

Students at Walter L. Cohen High School are 67% African American, 29% Hispanic, 4% White.

Rate Walter L. Cohen High School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Louisiana Dept of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.