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Test scores in Franklin
The state Department of Education recently released standardized test score results for Franklin Parish students.
The results stemmed from students who took LEAP and iLEAP tests.
Each year, fourth and eight grade students across the state take the LEAP test. LEAP determines how well students score in core subject areas, including English and mathematics.
Fourth and eighth grade students must pass LEAP to advance to the fifth and ninth grades respectively. Students who fail any part of LEAP must attend summer school to improve their scores so they can move to a higher grade.
Students in every other grade—besides seniors, fourth graders and eighth graders—take iLEAP.
iLEAP gauges a student's progress on core subjects on an annual basis. English and mathematics factor prominently on the iLEAP test, too.
The test score results the Department of Education unveiled some three weeks ago showed that more than half of all Franklin Parish students performed below basic competency in English and mathematics. Those scores included the results for LEAP and iLEAP tests.
The results of the LEAP and iLEAP tests should alarm every educator and parent in Franklin Parish.
The results also should remind every educator and parent in Franklin Parish that much work in the public education arena lies ahead, meaning the test score results must improve or the parish school system will face the unthinkable. Of course, the unthinkable would entail the state taking control of schools that continue to post poor results on standardized tests.
We would be remiss, though, if we did not point out that some test scores among some Franklin Parish students improved from the previous year.
Test scores among students at Winnsboro Elementary School come to mind.
At Winnsboro elementary, less than 18 percent of fourth grade students achieved scores at basic proficiency in 2007. This year, more than 39 percent of fourth grade students achieved basic proficiency.
Students at Winnsboro elementary improved in 2008 compared to 2007, and many people should be commended for the improvement, including educators and parents. More importantly, students who did the work to improve their scores should be reminded that their hard work paid off.
In the meantime, it needs to be said that criticizing the media for printing the truth about LEAP and iLEAP tests results serves no purpose.
Instead of shooting the messenger, so to speak, the individuals who concerned themselves with the news reporting about standardized tests results in Franklin Parish should get busy working to improve public education in general.
Studying ways to improve LEAP and iLEAP test results would be a good start. |
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