Louisiana public school students showed “exceptional growth” in their scores on the state’s standardized tests this year, state Education Superintendent Paul Pastorek said Monday.
He said the number of students achieving at least a “basic” level score increased in 28 of the 30 different types of tests given in third through eighth grades.
“Our students and our teachers did a wonderful job in their efforts on our statewide assessments this year,” Pastorek said during a news conference.
The Department of Education intends later this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday, to release the overall ratings of school districts in the state.
The tests include the “LEAP” tests that fourth- and eighth-graders must pass to be promoted, the Graduate Exit Exam tests that high school students must pass to graduate and the “iLeap” tests given to measure performance in other grades.
Substantial numbers of students aren’t doing well. For instance, 23 percent of fourth-graders and 28 percent of eighth-graders taking the LEAP tests this spring did not do well enough for promotion. But those rates were better than last year’s 24 percent for fourth-graders and 31 percent for eighth-graders.
LEAP tests measure fourth- and eighth-graders’ performance in English Language Arts and in math. They must achieve at least the “basic” level in either of the subjects and at least “approaching basic” in the remaining subject to be promoted. Those who don’t earn promotion in the spring can take the test again in the summer. The education department says a student who reaches the “basic” level has “demonstrated only the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of schooling.”
Pastorek said more teacher training, moving back test dates and giving teachers and students more time to prepare likely contributed to the improved scores.
One of the most improved areas was sixth-grade math. Seventy percent of sixth-graders taking the iLeap math test reached basic level or above, a 9 percentage point improvement over last year. Other areas of significant improvement included third-grade science, where the 62 percent basic-or-above achievement was a 7 percentage point improvement over last year; sixth-grade English, with 68 percent basic-or-better for a 7 point improvement; seventh-grade math, where basic-or-better scores went up 8 percentage points to 63 percent; and 10th grad math with an 8 percentage point improvement to 73 percent.
The scores were released at a time when Pastorek is fighting legislative proposals that he believes would weaken the decade-old accountability program.
Sen. Robert Kostelka, R-Monroe, is among lawmakers pushing a law that would allow issuance of a “career diploma” to students who opt out of standard pre-college curriculum and choose technical coursework aimed at getting them into community or technical colleges. Those students would be given an easier path through statewide standardized testing and be allowed to take more classes teaching trade skills, such as auto repair or welding. Kostelka and Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro, who has a similar bill, say the proposal would cut the dropout rate.
Pastorek says the bill goes too far in easing Louisiana’s school standards and could cause the dropout rate to increase, because students’ English and math skills would be too weak.
Pastorek said he intends to meet with supporters of the bill this week to discuss ways of making sure eighth-graders are performing at an age-appropriate level before being promoted.—-Contact The Daily Reveille news staff at [email protected]