By Harlan Kirgan
Editor
OPELOUSAS — St. Landry Parish LEAP scores improved from 2018 to 2019 and that growth was noted in the School Board’s Academic Committee meeting Tuesday.
The spring testing results are rarely good news for St. Landry Parish public schools, but the results released in June indicate growth even though the district lags behind overall state scores.
Board member Anthony Standberry said, “This is my 14th year on the Board, I think, and I haven’t seen that type of growth in one year since I’ve been on the Board. So, It is rewarding to see that we are moving in the right direction.”
Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said the St. Landry Parish scores exceeded the growth in surrounding school districts.
“We are growing our kids at the mastery level significantly. Again, we are not satisfied with where we are, but we want to continue that,” he said.
The district advanced from 52nd in the state math scores in grades three to eight to 37th, he said.
The district’s scores are growing gradually, he said. “But definitely showing that we are moving and pushing St. Landry Parish and being competitive with those around us,” he said.
St. Landry Parish mastery scores showed improvement in combined English language arts (ELA), math, and social studies. Thirty percent of the parish students scored mastery compared to 27 percent in 2018 in grades 3 to 8.
The state scores for mastery at the 3 to 8 grade level were 34 percent in 2018 and 35 percent in 2019.
Mastery is the state’s benchmark for achievement.
Angela Cassimere, director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the St. Landry Parish school system, cited focusing instructional specialist to grade levels as helping improve the scores along with professional development for teachers.
For grades three to eight the district percentage of students scoring mastery or above were:
— English Language Arts, 38 percent in 2019, up 1 percent.
— Mathematics, 31 percent in 2019, up 4 percent.
— Social Studies, 20 percent in 2019, up 2 percent.
The district percentage of high school students scoring basic and above by subject area were:
— Algebra, 69 percent in 2019, up 5 percent.
— Geometry, 79 percent in 2019, up 2 percent;
— English I, 74 percent in 2019, up 15 percent.
— English II, 62 percent in 2019, down 7 percent.
— U.S. History, 60 percent in 2019, up 1 percent.
Cassimere’s report did not include Biology.
District high school students scoring mastery and above by subject area:
— Algebra I, 38 percent in 2019, up 8 percent.
— Geometry, 36 percent in 2019, up 5 percent.
— English I, 11 percent in 2019, up 11 percent.
— English II, 37 percent in 2019, down 5 percent.
— U.S. History, 21 percent in 2019, down 4 percent.
