Staff Report
St. Landry Parish is among three school districts scoring 15th lowest in the state at the 2017 LEAP mastery level, according to results released by the state Department of Education.
Thirty-three percent of the students in the state achieved mastery level or better in the 2017 spring testing. Twenty-five percent of the St. Landry Parish students tested at the mastery level of better.
The St. Landry Parish students tied with Jackson and Orleans parishes at 25 percent.
St. Landry Parish students showed a growth of 5 points from 2015 to 2017 compared to a 4-point growth statewide. Twenty percent of the parish’s students scored at the mastery or better level in 2015.
Test results for the spring LEAP test, which tests English language arts, mathematics and science, were released Wednesday.
The education department news release stated Louisiana students maintained steady performance on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program assessments as schools transitioned to online testing in grades 5 and above for the first time.
Schools sustained the significant gains made in recent years, seeing a slight increase in the percentage of students scoring “Mastery” and above in English language arts, a slight decrease in the percentage of those scoring at that level in mathematics, and no change in science.
The percentage of students scoring at the mastery level and above in language arts, math, and science improved by four percent from 2015 to 2017 and did not change from 2016 to 2017.
The results also reveal trends that will inform future approaches to school improvement, including the state’s plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
State Superintendent John White said, “We have raised academic expectations in Louisiana in order to prepare more students for success in college and the workplace, and it is encouraging to see our students and educators embracing these expectations and achieving at levels competitive with other states.”
He added, “The results provide further evidence that we must do more to close gaps that persist between historically disadvantaged students and their peers. And while we are proud of continued gains students have made in reading and writing, too many students are struggling with fundamental math and science, which holds them back greatly as they progress through school. Louisiana’s ESSA plan must address these challenges.”
In Acadia Parish, 35 percent of the students achieved mastery or better on the 2017 tests.
In Evangeline Parish, 35 percent of the students also achieved mastery or better on the 2017 tests.
LEAP tests are given to students in grades three to eight.
Most school systems statewide have seen student improvement in ELA, math, and science over time. Since 2015, 62 out of 69 school systems in Louisiana--90 percent--have elevated student performance at the mastery level and above. Students in the Louisiana Scholarship Program have also improved five percent since 2015.
Students have maintained steady performance since last year and increased over time. In 2017, 33 percent of student tests scored mastery and above in ELA, math, and science combined. This is no change from 2016, but a four percent increase from 2015.
Louisiana’s comprehensive ESSA plan responds directly to the challenges revealed by this year’s results. Under this plan, Louisiana will:
Redefine what it means to be an “A” school. By 2025, an “A” school will be one in which students average Mastery on the LEAP and end-of-course assessments, average a score of 21 on the ACT, and graduate on time at a rate of at least 90 percent.
Close the achievement gap among historically disadvantaged students by supporting schools in need. Louisiana will deliver targeted funding to students and schools who are the most in need, as well as foster and fund relationships between persistently struggling schools and partners that have demonstrated success in turning around struggling schools.
Support students struggling with fundamental math skills, particularly in the middle and upper grades. The Department has released a series of freely available, high quality support tools to be implemented in thousands of 4th-9th grade classrooms across the state during the 2017-2018 school year to support struggling students. Furthermore, in partnership with the College Board and Khan Academy, the Department is working with more than 40 school systems to pilot a new intensive Algebra I course in over 100 9th grade classrooms to help students who enter grade 9 behind catch up on critical skills they have not yet learned while keeping pace with grade-level content.
Reduce testing. The Department will continue its commitment to reducing testing by limiting the paper-based testing window to one week and by restricting state tests to no more than two percent of annual educational minutes. Beginning in 2017-2018, the Department will provide school systems with short “check-up” tests that will be developed, scored, and reported in alignment with the Louisiana Student Standards, thus replacing current cumbersome, often misaligned tests administered by districts over the course of the year.
