Officials pleased with St. Mary PARCC scores

About 30 to 40 percent of St. Mary Parish students scored levels of mastery and above in English language arts and mathematics on their PARCC tests, according to the Louisiana Department of Education state-district level achievement report.
“St. Mary students have shown their ability to meet the academic challenges of increasingly rigorous learning standards and testing measures set forth by the state,” said St. Mary Parish Superintendent Leonard Armato in a news release.
Forty-two percent of fourth-grade students scored at the level of mastery and above in English language arts. Forty percent of eighth-graders scored mastery and above.
Third- and eighth-graders tied in math with 36 percent scoring at the mastery level and above.
“Our teachers, administrators, and parents have all contributed to this effort, and I am exceptionally proud of students for their persistence and hard work,” Armato said.
Sixty-seven percent of fifth-graders scored basic and below in English language arts. For seventh-graders, the figure was 65 percent.
Seventy-eight percent of seventh graders were at basic or below in math. For fifth and sixth grade students, the figure was 73 percent.
Standardized assessment in Louisiana goes back in Louisiana to 1999 with the LEAP test. It established a basic score as the target.
State Superintendent John White said the LEAP test doesn’t provide a direct comparison with other states.
The PARCC test moves the level of expectation from basic to mastery while it achieves comparability with other states, White said.
“Basic doesn’t get you ready for a two- or four-year college,” White said.
Student performance data for 2014-15 and 2015-16 will serve as baseline years for calculating valid measurable data comparisons.
“Overall, I was very pleased knowing what we faced last year,” said St. Mary Parish Assistant Superintendent of Schools Teresa Bagwell. “The fact that we met or exceeded state proficiency levels in 10 of the 12 tests is phenomenal.
“Do we want to be better? Absolutely.”
Individual student scores will be released in November. The school system plans to host parent meetings to discuss score reports.
Here is a grade-by-grade breakdown of St. Mary Parish Schools PARCC scores:
Third-grade English
—Advanced: 2 percent.
—Mastery: 37 percent.
—Basic: 29 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 19 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 13 percent.
Third-grade math
—Advanced: 4 percent.
—Mastery: 32 percent.
—Basic: 33 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 20 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 11 percent.
Fourth-grade English
—Advanced: 3 percent.
—Mastery: 39 percent.
—Basic: 36 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 16 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 7 percent.
Fourth-grade math
—Advanced: Less than 1 percent.
—Mastery: 34 percent.
—Basic: 32 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 27 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 6 percent.
Fifth-grade English
—Advanced: Less than 1 percent.
—Mastery: 32 percent.
—Basic: 33 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 27 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 7 percent.
Fifth-grade math
—Advanced: 3 percent.
—Mastery: 23 percent.
—Basic: 35 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 32 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 6 percent.
Sixth-grade English
—Advanced: 4 percent.
—Mastery: 32 percent.
—Basic: 39 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 20 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 4 percent.
Sixth-grade math
—Advanced: 2 percent.
—Mastery: 25 percent.
—Basic: 38 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 28 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 7 percent.
Seventh-grade English
—Advanced: 3 percent.
—Mastery: 30 percent.
—Basic: 33 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 21 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 11 percent.
Seventh-grade math
—Advanced: Less than 1 percent.
—Mastery: 22 percent.
—Basic: 33 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 34 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 11 percent.
Eighth-grade English
—Advanced: 2 percent.
—Mastery: 38 percent.
—Basic: 34 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 15 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 11 percent.
Eighth-grade math
—Advanced: 3 percent.
—Mastery: 33 percent.
—Basic: 26 percent.
—Approaching Basic: 22 percent.
—Unsatisfactory: 15 percent.