Huge Improvements in Louisiana education
Recapping LA's NAEP test score results
Hello all,
I hope everyone’s weekend is off to a good start.
I wanted to share some huge news in the world of Louisiana education.
Earlier this month, the results of the recent National Assessment of Educational Progress report (NAEP Report Card) were released. According to the Center Square publication, the NAEP is widely known as ”the gold standard for assessing student achievement across states, measures proficiency in reading and math among fourth and eighth graders.”
Taken every two years, this standardized test (NAEP) assesses the reading and math skills of 4th grade and 8th grade students across the country. In a pleasant surprise, Louisiana has jumped all the way up to 32nd place in the nation in NAEP test.
The Report Card below breaks down the incredible progress that Louisiana has made over the past decade. In just eleven years (2013 to 2024), Louisiana rose all the way from 49th in country to 32nd place!
Louisiana’s strongest improvement in its test scores have been in the categories of 4th grade reading and 8th reading. Nevertheless, Louisiana has still seen notable improvements in its 4th grade and 8th grade math scores.
What’s more, Louisiana is the only state to have improved its 2019 NAEP test scores following the nation-wide test score drop-off after the COVID-19 lockdowns shut down schools during 2020.
As you can expect, Louisiana’s improved test scores have garnered the attention of many media outlets—including national outlets.
For instance, Louisiana’s BESE Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley did an interview with Fox News talking about Louisiana’s improved test scores on the NAEP Report Card.
You can also watch Dr. Brumley’s press conference with Governor Landry where he talks about the recent NAEP test results:
Under the leadership of BESE Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana has seen major improvements in its K-12 education system over the past 5 years.
In a recent article in The Hayride, political science professor Jeff Sadow attributes much of Louisiana’s education success to the “Louisiana First” education policies enacted by Brumley and the Louisiana Department of Education over the past several years:
But while policy was stagnant, the Brumley era has characterized concentrating on implementation, guided by eschewing trendiness and sticking to a back-to-basics approach, targeted incentives to improve teacher availability and performance and provision of support services, empowerment of the educative function, and continued refinement of, based on increased expectations, accountability. This direction has been enhanced with the election of GOP Gov. Jeff Landry who backs this approach.
Similarly, BESE Member Kevin Berken shared several key policy initiatives that have improved Louisiana education in recent years in another article in The Hayride:
As a member of BESE, I am incredibly proud of how we have worked with LDOE, the state legislature, and Gov. Jeff Landry to help bring about meaningful change. This teamwork will help propel us to continue the trajectory of these last 4 years.
Key initiatives driving our success include:
Sweeping accountability reforms to reinforce “back to basics” learning.
“Let Teachers Teach” initiatives that empower educators to do what they do best—teach.
Legislative action to improve classroom learning environments, including:
Banning cell phones during school hours.
Streamlining the removal of disruptive students.
Investing $30 million in high-dose tutoring for struggling students in math and reading.
For the first time in a long time, everyone is pulling in the same direction—BESE, LDOE, the state legislature, and the governor’s office. And we’re not stopping here.
Overall, Louisiana’s K-12 education system is in good hands right now with Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s current Board of Education and Secondary Education (BESE), and the leaders in the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE).
We here at the Louisiana First Standard look forward to continuing our news coverage of Louisiana education and the “Louisiana First” victories being achieved in this area.
Thank you all for reading, and may Christ Jesus bless the state of Louisiana! Only Louisiana First!