L’Observateur / August 11, 2000

LUTCHER – Only 35 St. James Parish eighth-grade students out of 135passed their LEAP retests this summer. The test scores were receivedTuesday and presented to the St. James Parish School Board that evening.The results of the fourth-grade LEAP retests are due Monday.

Mary Edwards, administrative director of student services and resources, stated that a full presentation of the scores will be made at the next school board meeting. “We’ll be going over the scores of this year so we’ll know whatwent well and what went not so well,” said Edwards.

Committed to better results in the following years, Edwards plans to evaluate the scores and their retesting program to figure how best to improve their retesting.

The most disconcerting fact of the summer retesting program is that some parents did not send their children to the program. Certain kids did notcomplete the work to qualify for continuation to the ninth grade, nor did they pass the spring LEAP test. Some of these did not take the retest, saidEdwards. These students will have to repeat the eight grade.Those students who took the LEAP retest and failed will be placed in an 8.5grade, said Edwards. This class will require the students to learn theireighth-grade math and English while allowing them to take other ninth grade electives.

There was a lot of effort put into the summer retesting program, said Edwards. Even if one child passes it’s a success, but the school systemcontinues to fight for it’s goal of 100 percent. “We are committed to makethe program better next year,” she added.

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