By DONNA JACOB

Staff Reporter

RESERVE – On average, St. John Parish high school students showed the most improved progress on the 2007 LEAP test compared to last year’s scores. Basic level students increased by 19 percent in math and 11 percent in science.

The bad news is that 68 percent of parish high school students still score below the basic level, 27 percent score at basic and only 5 percent score above basic in all subjects.

Eighth-grade students showed a 10 percent decrease for science students scoring below basic and a 5 percent increase at the basic and above basic levels. Math also improved with 9 percent decrease in the below basic category, a 4 percent increase at the basic level and a 5 percent increase in above basic.

On the decline were scores for elementary students at the above basic level with 12 percent lower scores in English/language arts, 7 percent lower in math and 3 percent lower in social studies.

Though elementary science students scored 2 percent lower at the above basic level, they also showed an 8 percent increase at the basic level and a 6 percent decrease at the below basic level.

The following is also an average of how well St. John Parish school students performed compared to last year’s LEAP scores:

Fourth grade:

Above basic level – 12 percent lower in English/language arts, 7 percent lower in math, 2 percent lower in science and 3 percent lower in social studies.

Basic level – 11 percent higher in English/language arts, 5 percent higher in math, 8 percent higher in science and 6 percent higher in social studies.

Below basic – 1 percent higher in English/language arts, 2 percent higher in math, 6 percent lower in science and 4 percent lower in social studies.

Eighth grade:

Above basic – 1 percent higher in English/language arts, 5 percent higher in math, 5 percent higher in science and 4 percent higher in social studies.

Basic – 9 percent higher in English-language arts, 4 percent higher in math, 5 percent higher in science and 4 percent higher in social studies.

Below basic – 10 percent higher in English/language arts, 9 percent lower in math, 10 percent lower in science and 12 percent lower in social studies.

High school:

Above basic – 3 percent higher in English/language arts, 4 percent lower in math, 3 percent higher in science and 3 percent higher in social studies.

Basic level – 9 percent lower in English/language arts, 19 percent higher in math, 11 percent higher in science and 1 percent lower in social studies.

Below basic – 6 percent higher in English/language arts, 14 percent lower in math, 14 percent lower in science and 2 percent lower in social studies.