ACT, LEAP tests open to St. Mary public, parochial, home-schoolers

St. Mary Parish schools are stepping up efforts to improve ACT scores, including offering free testing workshops to area students – public and parochial – in grades 10 through 12, according to Superintendent Donald Aguillard.

The workshops, set for March 13 and 27, will be held in 4-hour blocks from 8 a.m. to noon. Aguillard said the sessions will be held at Morgan City, Patterson and Franklin high schools.

Students can register with guidance counselors at their schools. Parochial school students should contact Robbie Gouaux, accountability manager, at (337) 836-9661.

“Seats are limited,” the superintendent warned, encouraging students to reserve a place as soon as possible.

Aguillard said nonpublic and home-schooled students in grades 4 and 8 planning to attend public school are also required to register to take the LEAP test prior to admission to St. Mary’s public schools.

To enroll in 5th or 9th grade, students must score a minimum of Basic in LEAP’s Language Arts or mathematics portions. Students must score Approaching Basic on all other parts of the test.

Aguillard said parents should contact the public school in their attendance zone to register children. “Your child will be scheduled to take the test with other 4th or 8th graders at the school,” he explained.

Testing is being conducted in two phases this school year; students must attend both phases.

Phase 1, the written composition and mathematics’ sections, will be administered March 23. All other portions will be given April 12-16.

Home-school students in grades 3, 5, 6 and 7 are also eligible to take the iLEAP standardized test. It will also be given April 12-16.