(AP) — A 1.8 point increase in the performance score for Louisiana public schools brings the overall state score up to pre-pandemic levels, state education officials said Wednesday.
Figures released by the state Department of Education put the state performance score at 77.1 for this year — the same as it was before COVID-19 measures and multiple hurricanes affected school performance.
The state says 48 of 63 school systems improved from 2021 to 2022. Thirty have improved compared with 2019. Education Superintendent Cade Brumley said upticks in mastery rates for English, math and science in grades three through eight contributed to improved statewide performance.
“We saw a 3% increase in mastery rates in English, a 3% increase in math and we saw a 2% increase in our mastery rates for science. So, that increase in proficiency certainly led to improved school performance across the state,” Brumley said during an online news conference.
The 77.1% score is on a scale of zero to 150.
“Today we celebrate; tomorrow we’re back to the grind,” Brumley said. He said he is pleased with progress post-pandemic but “we have a long way to go.”
In addition to test scores, dropout data is used in assessing school performance. The state said 2022 also is the first year “interests and opportunities” was an element of school performance. It accounts for 5% of the performance formula and measures, according to the department, “whether schools are providing students with access to a well-rounded education that exposes them to a range of learning activities.”