Louisiana Students Show Improvement on Latest Fall Reading Report

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The Louisiana Department of Education released its Fall 2022 Reading Report today which shows how public school students in grades K-3 scored on a literacy screener given during the first 30 days of the current school year. Louisiana’s overall score improved and students in grades 1-3 grew for the second consecutive year, while kindergarten scores saw a decline. This year’s third graders earned their highest score since 2018.

 

“It’s good to see the continued reading progress for our students,” said Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s Superintendent of Education. “Ensuring children can read must remain a fundamental priority in every school across our state”


 

Statewide results can be viewed below for students scoring “On or Above Benchmark”

Grade Level 2021 2022 Difference
3 53.2% 54.5% +1.3%
2 52.5% 54.4% +1.9%
1 49.6% 50.2% +0.6%
K 41.5% 39.2% -2.3%
Overall 49.2% 49.6% +0.4%

The Fall 2022 Reading Report includes state, school system, and school data for public school students in grades K-3. School systems can choose among four research-based screening assessments to administer. Students who take a screener earn either “On or Above Benchmark” or “Below Benchmark.” In August, Louisiana adopted the state’s first K-2 accountability plan. This plan will include a uniform literacy screener for students in these early grades.

“Louisiana’s comprehensive literacy plan is building momentum across the state, and we are beginning to see the impact of this foundational shift in how we teach children to read,” said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jenna Chiasson. “Our youngest learners were the most impacted by the disruptions of the past few years. We have the support in place to keep our students in grades 1-3 on the right track and to accelerate the progress for our new kindergarten children.”


While scores for students in grades 1-3 increased for the second consecutive year, scores declined for students entering kindergarten. These literacy screeners are given to students during the first 30 days of the school year and capture a snapshot of a child’s reading ability as they enter a new grade.

This is the latest data to show the continued progress of Louisiana students following unprecedented classroom disruptions caused by hurricanes and the pandemic. Earlier this month, Louisiana’s statewide performance score returned to its pre-pandemic level. In October, the Nation’s Report Card showed that Louisiana students avoided some of the most dramatic learning losses seen across the nation. In August, the Department released 2021-22 LEAP scores that showed Mastery rates improved in ELA and math for students in grades 3-8.