WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - State education officials said a record number of schools received an "A" designation on annual performance reviews, but that more schools also received failing grades than the year before.

The Department of Education released the performance rankings at a press conference this afternoon. They said the number of schools receiving an "A" ranking rose dramatically, from 98 in the '10/'11 school year to 163 in the '11/'12 school year. The report also said 440 schools across the state were designated Top Gains schools, which exceeded performance targets and are eligible for additional state funding.

Of all the state's public schools, about 36 percent received "A" or "B" scores, and 36 percent received "D" or
"F" scores.

Zachary Community School District was again ranked as the highest-performing district in the state. East Baton Rouge Schools received a "C" ranking.

Superintendent John White said they also saw an increase in schools which received an "F" grade, from 115 to 157. However, he attributed that to schools needing a higher performance score to avoid a failing grade.

"Reforms are working," White said. "We raised the bar this year and saw schools improve in every grade level."

News 2's Mike Steele will have more on the performance rankings and what they mean for the state's school system tonight at 5 and 6.