The results of summer retesting — where students who did not meet the promotional standard on the English language arts and mathematics portions of the fourth and eighth grade LEAP tests during the spring had another opportunity to earn those passing scores — have been released, for both the Washington Parish School System and Bogalusa City Schools.

Washington Parish School System Superintendent Darrell Fairburn said he was pleased with his students’ performance during summer retesting, especially at the eighth grade level.

Fourth and eighth grade students must achieve a score of basic or above in either English language arts or math and approaching basic in the other subject area in order to be promoted to the next grade. Depending on the grade level, students who do not pass will have to repeat the class or grade, Fairburn said.

Fourth graders who meet certain criteria, however, may be allowed to participate in a transitional program, where they enter a fifth grade classroom but have to retake the fourth grade LEAP again in the spring, he said.

Statewide, fourth grade retesters were at the following achievement levels in English: advanced, less than 1 percent; mastery, 2 percent; basic, 31 percent; approaching basic, 37 percent; and unsatisfactory, 31 percent. In math, the statewide scores were advanced, less than 1 percent; mastery, less than 1 percent; basic, 24 percent; approaching basic, 39 percent; and unsatisfactory, 36 percent.

After spring testing, 82 percent of Louisiana fourth graders met the approaching basic/ basic promotional standard, with that number increasing to 89 percent after spring and summer testing were complete.

Washington Parish fourth graders scored advanced, less than 1 percent; mastery, less than 1 percent; basic, 25 percent; approaching basic, 48 percent; and unsatisfactory, 23 in English. The system’s math scores at that grade level were advanced, less than 1 percent; mastery, less than 1 percent; basic, 20 percent; approaching basic, 44 percent; and unsatisfactory, 36.

While the percentage of Washington Parish fourth graders meeting the promotional standard after spring testing was at 78, the percentage rose to 86 after spring and summer testing.

English scores for Bogalusa’s fourth graders during summer testing were advanced, less than 1 percent; mastery, 3 percent; basic, 45 percent; approaching basic, 45 percent; and unsatisfactory, 8 percent. On the math portion, the scores were advanced, less than 1 percent; mastery, 3 percent; basic, 30 percent; approaching basic, 42 percent; and unsatisfactory, 24 percent.

In the Bogalusa system, 78 percent of fourth grade students achieved the promotional standard after spring testing, with that number increasing to 90 percent after summer remediation was complete.

English scores statewide for eighth grade, at each achievement level, were approaching basic, less than 1 percent; mastery, less than 1 percent; basic, 21 percent; approaching basic, 59 percent; and unsatisfactory, 20 percent. Statewide math scores were approaching basic, less than 1 percent; mastery, less than 1 percent; basic, 20 percent; approaching basic, 42 percent; and unsatisfactory, 38 percent.

Following spring testing, 75 percent of eighth graders statewide had achieved the promotional standard, with the number at 83 percent after spring and summer testing.

English scores for eighth graders participating in summer remediation in the Washington Parish School System were advanced, less than one percent; mastery, 2 percent; basic, 21 percent; approaching basic, 62 percent; and unsatisfactory, 15 percent in English. In math, the scores were advanced, less than 1 percent; mastery, less than 1 percent; basic, 26 percent; approaching basic, 46 percent; and unsatisfactory, 29 percent.

Seventy-three percent of Washington Parish eighth graders met the promotional standard after testing in the spring, and 82 percent had achieved the standard after both spring and summer testing were complete.

Bogalusa eighth graders scored the following in English: advanced, less that 1 percent; mastery, less than 1 percent; basic, 19 percent; approaching basic, 59 percent; unsatisfactory, 22 percent. The math percentages were advanced, less than 1; mastery, less than 1; basic, 10; approaching basic, 33; and unsatisfactory, 57.

The promotional standard was reached by 54 percent of Bogalusa eighth graders after spring testing, with that number increasing to 63 percent after spring and summer testing.

On the high school level, some students also had to try again to obtain a passing score on portions of the Graduate Exit Examination, which is being phased out, and the End-of-Course tests. Though those tests are part of the high school graduation requirements, Fairburn said some students do not initially take them as seriously as they should.

“I’m always disappointed that we have some that don’t take advantage of summer school and retesting, and that’s mainly with our high school students,” he said. “It’s not a large number that do that, but we wish they would all take advantage and not wait until their senior year to get those tests in.”