Last week, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released the results of the 2024 state LEAP test, which measures the extent to which students enrolled in public schools are learning the state’s academic content standards. The standards identify what teachers should teach and what students should learn and be able to do in English language arts, math, science, and social studies in each grade level. While federal and state law requires states to define these standards for public schools, local school systems are free to choose the curricula and instructional materials used to teach them in the classroom.

The state’s LEAP test—the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program—is a standardized test that all public students must take. In less than 2% of total instructional time for the school year, students’ learning is measured on an objectively scored test that is 100% aligned to the state standards and results are shared with parents, educators, and the public (in aggregate). While they don’t tell everything about a student’s learning and abilities, the results serve as an important source of information, particularly given the variance, subjectivity, and widely reported increasing inflation of teacher administered grades.

What were the results? Unfortunately, there’s not a lot to be tremendously excited about, particularly in light of numerous longstanding state-sponsored trainings and professional development and $4 billion in federal funding that Louisiana received to address learning loss. The takeaway is that student performance is the same as it was last year, with just 35% of students achieving at the proficient level, called “Mastery.” Student performance also remains below 2019 levels, the last year prior to the COVID-19 shutdowns.

According to the LDOE, there were some modest gains as well as declines in various grade levels and subjects:

  • In English language arts, students in grades 3-8 improved their previous overall mastery rate by one point. ELA mastery rates improved in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 and declined in grades 4 and 8.
  • In math, overall student performance in grades 3-8 was flat. Math mastery rates improved in grades 4 and 7, remained the same in grades 5 and 6, and declined in grades 3 and 8.
  • In science, overall student performance in grades 3-8 was flat. Science mastery rates improved in grades 3, 5, and 6 and declined in 4, 7, and 8.
  • Social studies results were not reported this year because a new test is being developed to measure the state’s new social studies standards. Reporting will resume in 2025.
  • The percent of students scoring “Unsatisfactory”—the lowest achievement level—decreased when compared to last year in grades 3-12, and the overall mastery rate for students with disabilities improved in 3-8 for the third consecutive year.
  • Eighth graders’ performance is particularly concerning, dropping one point in both ELA and math and three points in science.

Out of 69 school districts, 25 experienced declines and 23 held steady compared to 2023. But at a legislative K-12 Study Group meeting earlier this week, school leaders and teachers’ union representatives offered few, if any, meaningful recommendations for improving student achievement. Instead, they advocated for measuring and reporting student learning less frequently, shifting to different tests, and lowering expectations because the current expectations are too high.

Some even questioned the state’s focus on reading and literacy in a state where just 44% of students are proficient readers by the end of the critical third grade year. And then there were repeated calls to stop testing students with disabilities, particularly non-verbal students who are fully capable of learning, communicating, and demonstrating what they’ve learned in their own ways on specialized assessments with accommodations. Such an exclusion is not only morally questionable, but it would also surely violate federal and state laws that protect such students from discrimination.

If Louisiana is ever going to rise above the low educational attainment that has plagued the state for many years, its school leaders are going to have to do better than engaging in gripe sessions and moving (or eliminating) goal posts. Children deserve nothing less from their schools than a full commitment to their academic growth and preparation for the increasingly demanding life that awaits them as adults in a knowledge-based economy. And while the state is rapidly increasing educational options for parents, in part due to frustration with low-performing public schools that aren’t meeting students’ individual learning needs, school leaders would be wise to demonstrate that commitment by doubling down on effective implementation of evidence-based strategies tailored to individual student needs, innovating, putting forth real recommendations to get rid of obstacles, and taking a no-excuses approach to their work of teaching the next generation. Louisiana’s children are more than capable and are certainly worth it.