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The latest LEAP test results show progress among younger learners, but a slight decline in those closer to graduation.
The Louisiana Department of Education released the 2025 LEAP test results Thursday, and they show that overall student proficiency among students in grades 3 through 8 is up a percentage point from the previous school year, with 35% achieving Mastery or above.
When broken down by subject, math Mastery+ increased two points to 33%, science increased one point to 29%, and English language arts remained steady at 43%.
Erin Bendily, the senior vice president of the Pelican Institute, says while the state has come a long way, the job is not done yet.
She notes that when high school students are added into the mix, the results are flat.
“We have held steady for the past few years at just 35% of our students on grade level,” says Bendily. “I don’t think anybody would say that that’s satisfactory. In fact, our high schools actually declined one point over the last year (from 36% Mastery+ rate to 35%).
“These are students who are within just a few years going to be transitioning to college in the workplace,” Bendily continued. “So we definitely have more work to do.”
Bendily says while it’s important to get younger students off to a good start in their education, it’s also important not to neglect high school students.
She says in some regards, it’s even more important for those students to be performing at grade level.
“We only have a few more years to get them where they need to be so that they don’t have to go to college and take remedial courses (and) they don’t struggle in the workplace,” says Bendily.
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