Nov 20, 2025
Travis Hill NOLA celebrates major academic gains, including a 11-point SPS increase, stronger credit earning, reduced dropouts, and statewide Opportunity Honoree recognition.
NEW ORLEANS, LA (NOVEMBER 20, 2025) — Travis Hill NOLA announced significant academic gains this week, marked by a major increase in its School Performance Score (SPS), stronger credit accumulation, improved dropout metrics, and its designation as an official Opportunity Honoree by the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE). These achievements highlight the school’s growing impact on youth in secure facilities and transition, a population historically underserved and at high risk for educational disruption.
For the 2025 school year, Travis Hill NOLA earned a School Performance Score of 87.4, a 10-point increase from the prior year’s score of 77.4. This progress elevates the school’s rating from a C to a B, demonstrating strong academic momentum across key performance measures.
Among the school’s most notable gains is its Core Credit Accumulation Index, which increased from 80.1 in 2024 to 91.2 in 2025. This growth reflects substantial increases in students earning required credits on time — a critical indicator of long-term academic success and pathway to graduation.
Travis Hill NOLA also earned an A in both Dropout Rate and Second-Year Dropout Rate, metrics that track whether students graduate or remain engaged in school after leaving the secure environment. These results affirm the strength of the school’s transition programming and its unique approach to post-release support.
“Our rise from a C to a B represents more than a number — it represents a student showing up for class, a teacher helping a young person reclaim their future, and a community refusing to give up on our youth,” said Byron Goodwin, CEO & President of Travis Hill NOLA. “This jump is a reminder of what happens when we invest in kids everyone else counts out. Our A in second-year dropout tells a powerful story: our students aren’t just leaving our setting — they’re re-enrolling, earning credits, and continuing their education. That’s the work we’re most proud of.”
Transition success has become one of the defining strengths of the Travis Hill NOLA model. The school’s Transition Team works directly with students, families, and local schools to ensure that once a young person exits their direct care, they have a pathway and a support system to continue their education. The continued success in second-year dropout performance — once one of the school’s greatest challenges — now stands as a point of pride and a reflection of systemwide commitment.
As an Opportunity Honoree, Travis Hill NOLA is recognized for significantly improving academic outcomes for students who are traditionally most marginalized across the state’s educational system. This honor reflects both the strength of the school’s instructional program and the deep relational work required to help students return home and remain engaged in school after leaving custodial settings.
Founded on the belief that every young person deserves access to high-quality education regardless of circumstance, Travis Hill NOLA continues to innovate in the field of education. The school plans to build on this year’s gains with expanded transition supports, increased community partnerships, and a renewed focus on student-centered programming.
About Travis Hill NOLA
Travis Hill NOLA is an alternative, transition-based public school serving youth in custody at the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center (JJIC) and the Orleans Justice Center (OJC). Through academic instruction, counseling, transition planning, and wraparound support, the school provides students with the opportunity to continue their education, earn credits, and successfully re-enter their community schools after release. Named in honor of New Orleans musician Travis “Trumpet Black” Hill, the school is committed to transforming outcomes for young people through consistency, compassion, and opportunity.