Central Students Score in State’s Top Tier- Again!

By CS | June 9, 2010

Submitted by the Central Community School System

CENTRAL, La. – Students in the Central Community School District scored at the level of those students in the state’s top tier districts for the second consecutive year, according to a recent accountability report released by the Louisiana Department of Education.

      The state’s report indicates that Central’s students are scoring well above their state peers on the state’s iLEAP, LEAP and GEE tests.  This year’s test results mark only the second time in which Central’s Schools have been included in the state’s overall calculation.

      The 2010 preliminary LEAP results released by the state last Wednesday show that 80 percent of Central’s fourth-graders scored proficient in the English/language arts portion of the LEAP and 78 percent did so in math, while the state average was 68 percent in English/language arts and 69 percent in math.  Among eighth-graders, 71 percent passed English/language arts and 67 percent were proficient in math, compared to 61 percent and 59 percent statewide, respectively.  Students in the fourth and eighth grade must pass the English/language arts and math sections of the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) to be eligible for promotion to the next grade.

      Overall, Central Community Schools had 86 percent of its fourth graders scoring proficient in both English/language arts and math, which ranked as the state’s sixth highest score, and 79 percent of its eighth graders scoring proficient in both subjects, which ranked as the state’s eighth best score. 

      At the same time, Central high school students taking the state’s Graduate Exit Exam (GEE) also outpaced their peers statewide.  Seventy-two percent scored proficient in English/language arts, compared to 63 percent statewide; 83 percent earned a passing score in math, compared to 69 percent statewide; 76 percent passed science, while only 60 percent statewide did; and 85 percent scored proficient in social studies, while the state average was 65 percent.  High school students must pass three of the four sections of the GEE to be eligible to graduate.

      “We are pleased with the overall success that our students had on this year’s high-stakes tests.  Once again, in just the second year of our scores being factored into the state’s accountability rating system, our students have shown themselves to be among the state’s best.  These results are a clear indication of the strong curriculum, dedicated teachers and devoted parents we have in this community,” Superintendent Michael Faulk said. 

      Faulk said Central students also scored high percentages of proficiency on the iLEAP in grades 9, 7, 6, 5 and 3.  He noted that four of the five grade levels had an increase in the number of students scoring Advanced and Mastery in the English/language arts section.  In the math section, three of the five grade levels had higher numbers of Advanced level scores and four of the five grades improved their numbers at the Mastery level.

      “As pleased as we are with our numbers on the LEAP and GEE, we are even more pleased with our iLEAP results,” Faulk said.  He noted that the scores of his third grade students showed some of the greatest gains.  Last year’s third grade class had 9 percent scoring Advanced and 24 percent scoring Mastery.  This year’s third grade class improved overall to 8 percent scoring Advanced and 39 percent scoring Mastery.

      Faulk said an in-depth breakdown of the results for each grade level shows improvements in most categories, and slight drops from last year’s high numbers in a few areas.  “We know that as we compare each class to the one from the year before, the challenge becomes greater because the bar is so high.  So that even with slight drops from time to time in some categories, our students are still among the best,” he said.

      Nonetheless, Faulk noted that school administrators will carefully evaluate the scores by grade levels and develop plans to address specific needs at each grade level.  The state is not expected to release its calculations for School Performance Scores until October.  Those calculations will determine which schools are meeting their growth target requirements, as set by the state, and what the overall district performance rankings will be.

      According to the state’s most recent report, Central Schools received the sixth highest score in the state for the percent of fourth graders who scored proficient, and eighth highest score for the percent of eighth graders who scored proficient.  The following charts list the top performing school districts for fourth and eighth grade, according the state’s most recent LEAP results: 

Percent of 4^th Grade Students Meeting Promotional Standards

• 1. Zachary Community Schools – 94
  2. Plaquemines Parish – 93
  3. Orleans Parish – 90
  4. St. Tammany Parish – 88
  5. Vernon Parish – 87
  6. Central Community Schools – 86

Livingston Parish – 86

Jefferson Davis Parish – 86

Ouachita Parish – 86

West Feliciana Parish – 86

Percent of 8^th Grade Students Meeting Promotional Standards

• 1. Orleans Parish – 86
  2. Zachary Community School District – 85

East Carroll Parish – 85

• 3. Ascension Parish – 84
  4. Livingston Parish – 83

St. Charles Parish – 83

• 5. Allen Parish – 82

St. John the Baptist Parish – 82

Winn Parish – 82

• 6. St. Tammany Parish – 81

 Richland Parish – 81

• 7. Ouchita Parish – 80

Vernon Parish – 80

• 8. Central Community Schools – 79

Plaquemines Parish – 79

Sabine Parish – 79

West Baton Rouge Parish – 79

West Carroll Parish – 79

West Feliciana Parish – 79