St. Mary LEAP scores show impact of COVID, superintendent says
This item came Thursday morning from St. Mary Superintendent Dr. Teresa Bagwell:
Schools received LEAP 2025 test score data and graduation rates that overwhelmingly reflect the impact that a lengthy school closure had on students’ academic growth, while graduation rates continued a steady increase. Overall, LEAP “Mastery+” percentage scores declined for the total student population at a rate of 7% with fluctuations exhibited according to a specific school, content area, or subgroup. Declines in LEAP performance were of profound concern when schools closed in March 2020 and then reopened in a delayed start in September with many students learning remotely in a hybrid schedule or fully online.
The Louisiana Department of Education noted the significant differences in performance levels between students learning in-person compared to those learning virtually in a separate press release. In St. Mary Parish, approximately 30% of students began the 2020-21 school year as virtual only. Many of these students returned to campus during the school year, with less than 3% ending the year in a virtual learning setting.
In addition to the delayed start of the 2020-2021 school year, students across the state faced intermittent disruptions to daily attendance due to weather events, quarantines of close contacts to COVID-19, and other factors. St. Mary Parish students were able to attend on campus beginning September 28th but still faced interruptions throughout the year for those reasons.
For the first time, student scores on the ELPT (English Language Proficiency Test), the assessment administered to students whose primary language is not English, were included in school accountability data. St. Mary Parish students outperformed the state in the percent of students scoring Progressing (71% compared to 68%) and Proficient (9% compared to 8%).
The state’s score release also included graduation data for the Class of 2020. St. Mary Parish’s graduation rate increased to 95.6% compared to the state’s rate of 84%. Additionally, the percentage of students earning Advanced or Basic industry-based credentials grew from 80.8% to 92.1%. St. Mary Parish students outperformed the state (51.6%) in this measure of accountability.
Clearly, any level of decline in academic performance rates by a school or content area is of serious concern. School and district leaders have begun employing adjustments in daily schedules to offer time within the school day for evidence-based interventions and acceleration of learning. Students also have the opportunity to receive afterschool tutoring services that align to their specific area of academic need. The most important factor in lessening the impacts of educational disruptions is providing students with daily on-campus instruction that encompasses standards-aligned lessons with appropriate measures of learning standard mastery.
In reviewing the score release, Superintendent Dr. Teresa Bagwell commended students on their perseverance in attending school each day and striving to fully comprehend the skills and content presented: “Teachers empathize with the circumstances students faced during the pandemic and are committed to enhancing daily learning opportunities in order to lead them on a path to academic success. Our school system has invested in prescribed resources, technology, and other sup-ports to guide students on a path that will prepare them to graduate on time and pursue a career of their choosing. Principals and teachers are steadfast in their belief that all students have the capability of measur-able academic growth, and they strive each day to lead and inspire them in realizing their potential. We are looking forward to beginning a new school year on August 6th with a renewed focus and analysis of LEAP 2025 results to strengthen an exceptional education for the students of St. Mary.”