LEAP re-testing a mixed bag for Tri-parish students

The state Department of Education announced that nearly one-third of the fourth and eighth graders who retook the statewide promotional tests this summer passed.

Statewide, 83 percent of the initial fourth grade test takers passed the test after the spring and summer testing, compared to 78 percent in 2006. For the eight graders, 78 percent of the test-takers passed the exam in the spring and summer testing.

This is the first year that eighth grade students had to meet the standard. Fourth graders have has to meet the standard since 2004.

How did the Tri-parish public schools measure up?

The results were released last Monday as a new year drew closer for many public schools in the area – the first being Terrebonne Parish, which started school the day the results were released. Lafourche and St. Mary parishes followed a couple days later.

Nearly 800 fourth- and eighth-grade students re-tested in Terrebonne Parish, according to parish officials.

Twenty percent of Terrebonne fourth graders passed the English portion of the test, scoring basic or above, compared to 27 percent of the fourth graders tested statewide. In mathematics, 13 percent of the Terrebonne students passed, compared to 25 percent statewide.

Among eighth graders, 19 percent of the students passed the English section of the test, compared to 22 percent statewide. In math, 26 percent of the students passed, compared to 24 percent statewide.

St. Mary Parish Student Accountability Supervisor Kevin Derise said, “Based on their spring and summer test scores fourth and eighth graders have been placed in the appropriate grade following the state’s high-stakes policy.”

Derise also said several of the students qualified for state-approved overrides that have placed students in the next grade level or in our transitional program.

Nearly 175 fourth graders re-tested in St. Mary Parish. Of those, 91 failed the exam and 37 passed. Forty-seven of the students were eligible for 4.5, which allows them to retest in the spring and possibly gain passage to the sixth grade in the 2008-2009 school term.

As for the 170 retesting eighth graders, the number 42 measures how many students passed and failed the exam. Fifty-two of the students were eligible for a waiver, which allows students who have scored approaching basic in two disciplines after the summer retest to gain promotion to the ninth grade.

Thirty-four of those eighth graders were also eligible for the pre-General Equivalency Diploma, which is a program for students who are no longer pursing a high school diploma.

St. Mary Parish Superintendent Dr. Donald Aguillard said, “The 2007 St. Mary Parish remediation program piloted new instructional materials in order to improve overall student performance. The preliminary data shows incremental accountability gained through summer remediation.”

As for the success of the students, Derise said, “The summer program is effective for many students who attend. The program is very short on time before the retest is given. We are constantly reviewing our summer remediation program to make it more effective.”

Overall, St. Mary had a 73 percent pass rate for the fourth grades and a 77 percent pass rate for the eighth grades, which includes the state-approved overrides.

In Lafourche Parish, Supervisor of Student Accountability Julie Bourgeois said the unofficial numbers for the parish are 61 percent passage for the eighth grade re-testers, and 75 percent passage for the fourth grade.

“The state of Louisiana sets a 40 percent pass rate standard for summer school programs,” Bourgeois said.

Five different levels of achievement measure the high-risk state exam – advanced, mastery, basic, approaching basic and unsatisfactory. To pass the test, students must score at least basic in one of two subjects, English or mathematics, and at least approaching basic in the other two disciplines.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.