Orleans Parish
Orleans Parish is the parish that contains the city of New Orleans. New Orleans and Orleans Parish are interchangeable. Their boundaries are the same, and they contain the same population. Orleans Parish is the urban core of the area served by United Way of Southeast Louisiana. In 2000, New Orleans had a population of 484,674. After Hurricane Katrina, the population fell to an estimated 230,172, according to U.S. Census data from July 2006, but has since recovered substantially.
Homeownership rates
In the United States, homeownership is often assumed to be an important means of acquiring wealth. However, experts have increasingly pointed out that neighborhood and regional housing markets can experience downturns, during which homeowners can lose their accumulated equity.[i] Moreover, decades old policies and practices hamper minorities from benefitting from strong housing markets, which has contributed to weaker wealth accumulation for people of color who own homes.[ii] Still, homeownership can be an important means of achieving residential stability and has been shown to be related to improved psychological health and greater participation in social and political activities.[iii] Studies have revealed that discriminatory practices in the real estate and banking industries are still common and present an obstacle to homeownership for many people of color.[iv]
Homeownership rate, 2018-2022
Low Birth Weight
Low birth weight is defined as less than 5.5 pounds. Infants born with low birth weights are more likely to experience developmental problems, are more likely to die in the first year of life, and are also more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure later in life. Studies have shown that improving the mother’s nutrition and access to prenatal care can help reduce the risk of low birth weight pregnancies.[i] However, studies have also shown that racial bias in how medical professionals interact with Black patients — much of it unconscious — results in poorer quality of care for Black patients.[ii] Moreover, research has determined that birth outcomes are influenced by factors occurring even before pregnancy. Chronic stress, associated with racial discrimination over one’s lifetime, can increase the risk of low birth weight pregnancies.[iii]
Percent of babies born with low birth weight by race/ethnicity, Orleans Parish, 2014-2020
HealthCountyRankings.org was used for parish estimates, CDC Wonder Tool was used for Louisiana and United States estimates.
Percent of babies born with low birth weight, 2014-2020
HealthCountyRankings.org was used for parish estimates, CDC Wonder Tool was used for Louisiana and United States estimates.
Third grade students at each achievement level, English Language Arts (ELA)
It has been widely reported that until third grade children learn to read; after third grade, they read to learn.[i] For that reason, reading skills in third grade are considered an important early warning indicator of academic performance. Reading skills in third grade are highly predictive of future academic performance.[ii] Third grade children, with limited reading abilities, will have a harder time keeping up with other students across multiple subjects — including math, science, and other languages.
Achievement level of third graders in ELA, Orleans Parish and RSDNO, 2023
Notes: The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) is a standardized test that assesses English Language Arts (ELA), among other subjects. For more information, visit: http://www.louisianabelieves.com/measuringresults/grades-3-8-assessments
Percent of third graders achieving a passing score in ELA, 2023
Notes: The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) is a standardized test that assesses English Language Arts (ELA), among other subjects. For more information, visit: http://www.louisianabelieves.com/measuringresults/grades-3-8-assessments
High school graduation rates
Obtaining a high school diploma is an important milestone, marking a successful transition into adulthood. High school graduates tend to be healthier, earn higher incomes, vote more, and face fewer obstacles as they enter adulthood. High school graduation rates are also an important indicator of school performance for parents, policymakers, and concerned community members. According to research by the Alliance for Excellent Education, “Graduation rates must be a cornerstone of high school accountability and used in decision-making about the targeting of resources and interventions to low-performing schools.”[i] The Louisiana Department of Education includes high school cohort graduation rates in the calculation of high school performance scores as a means to hold schools accountable for graduating their students on time.[ii]
Percent of students graduating public high school on time by race/ethnicity, Orleans Parish, 2023
The Recovery School District (RSD) was created in 2003 by the Louisiana Legislature with the mission of turning around the lowest performing schools in the state. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures, the Louisiana Legislature took action to hand over the majority of Orleans Parish public schools to the state RSD. For more information, visit: https://www.louisianabelieves.com/schools/recovery-school-district/
Percent of students graduating public high school on time, 2023
The Recovery School District (RSD) was created in 2003 by the Louisiana Legislature with the mission of turning around the lowest performing schools in the state. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures, the Louisiana Legislature took action to hand over the majority of Orleans Parish public schools to the state RSD. For more information, visit: https://www.louisianabelieves.com/schools/recovery-school-district/
