By LEONARD GRAY-Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – School is back in session with many students having to make the adjustments to either advance or be retained in a lower grade, based on the summer scores of the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program tests earlier this summer.

Fourth-, eighth- and 10th-grade students who scored Unsatisfactory on one or both major sections of the LEAP tests will, depending on their history, be retained in a lower grade or promoted.

Additionally, some high school students are contending with the Graduate Exit Exam (GEE) tests to enable them to graduate.

St. John the Baptist Parish

Assistant Superintendent Wilbert Ocmond took notice of the volume of students who failed to appear to be tested during the summer LEAP retesting.

“Some didn’t bother showing up for summer retests,” Ocmond said. He added it’s a common practice to not work too hard to pass the first time, since they are aware if they fail it again, they may be promoted to the next grade anyway.

“One problem is when they made it mandatory for us to ffer but not for students to attend,” Ocmond continued.

Grade Four

English Language Arts – In this category, 522 fourth-graders were tested in the spring and 421 passed, but 101 scored Unsatisfactory. From that number qualified for summer school, 74 were retested and only 28 students passed. In total, the percentage passing in spring or summer was 86 percent.

Mathematics – In this category, 523 fourth-graders were tested in the spring and 411 passed, but 112 scored Unsatisfactory. From that number qualified for summer school, 77 were retested and only 36 passed. In total the percentage passing in spring or summer was 86 percent.

Grade Eight

English Language Arts – In this category, 457 eighth-graders were tested in the spring and 360 passed, leaving 97 qualified for summer school. Of these, 68 were retested and ony 32 passed. This gave a passing percentage of 86 percent.

Mathematics – In this category, 499 students were tested in the spring and 288 passed, leaving 211 qualified for summer school. Of these, 156 were retested and 54 passed. This gave a passing percentage of 69 percent for spring and summer.

Graduate Exit Exam – Grade 10

English Language Arts – In this category, 462 were tested in the spring and 296 passed, leaving 166 qualified for summer school. Of these, 87 were tested and 20 passed. This gave a passing percentage for spring and summer of 68 percent.

Mathematics – In this category, 531 were tested in the spring and 282 passed, leaving 249 qualified for summer school. Of these, 151 were tested and 53 passed. This gave a passing percentage for spring and summer of 63 percent.

St.Charles Parish

Rachel Allemand, executive director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, observed the problem of students missing summer school retesting “doesn’t take into consideration the mobility of our population.”

Allemand said, “It continues to count against us when we didn’t have a chance to retest them.”

And it’s not like parents are unaware. “We keep harrassing the parents until we get an answer,” Allemand said, whether the family is relocating or for some other reason for the student’s absence.

“It’s just gotten so complicated,” she noted.

Grade Four

English Language Arts – In this category, 710 students were tested in the spring and 649 passed, leaving 61 qualified for summer school. Of these, 49 were retested and 24 passed. This gives a passing percentage of 95 percent.

Mathematics – In this category, 710 students were tested in the spring and 639 passed, leaving 71 qualified for summer school. Of these, 64 were retested and 29 passed. This gives a passing percentage of 94 percent.

Grade Eight

English Language Arts – In this category, 668 students were tested in the spring and 634 passed, leaving 34 eligible for summer school. Of these, 24 were retested and 15 passed. This gives a passing percentage of 97 percent.

Mathematics – In this category, 677 students were tested in the spring and 597 passed, leaving 80 eligible for summer school. Of these 71 were retested and 44 passed. This gives a passing percentage of 95 percent.

Graduate Exit Exam, Grade 10

English Language Arts – A total of 694 students in this category were tested in the spring and 616 passed, leaving 78 eligible for summer school. Of these, 34 were retested and 21 passed, leaving a passing percentage of 92 percent.

Mathematics – A total of 727 students in this category were tested in the spring and 618 passed, leaving 109 eligible for summer schoo. Of these, 47 were retested and 21 passed, leaving a passing percentage of 88 percent.