Middle school students at Lincoln parish’s A.E. Phillips Laboratory School boasted high performance scores on this year’s Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) test.
Under the direction of Dr. Jenny Blalock, some of the highlights of the results of the LEAP test were:
-100% of AEP Algebra students (8th grade given for high school credit) scored Mastery or Advanced
-100% of AEP 6th, 7th and 8th grade students scored Mastery or Advanced in Math
-100% of AEP 7th grade students scored Mastery or Advanced in Science
-100% of AEP 8th grade students scored Mastery or Advanced in ELA
“We are experiencing this success because of the hard work of our faculty, staff and students,” Blalock said. “Teachers and administration are constantly reflecting and working together to improve our practice. We are also remembering the practices that we believe in, that are research-based, and ensuring they continue in our classrooms; regardless of what changes may come in education. We strive for academic excellence, but we prioritize the safety, well-being, and happiness of our students, faculty and staff.”
Another type of data measured is called a Proficiency Score for those students who achieve Mastery or Advanced on the LEAP. The AEP Bullpups placed Top 10 in the state in the following grades and subjects:
-6th grade ELA (Top 10)
-6th grade Math (#1 statewide)
-6th grade Science (#2 statewide)
-7th grade ELA (Top 5)
-7th grade Math (#1 statewide)
-7th grade Science (#1 statewide)
-8th grade ELA (tied for 1st statewide)
-8th grade Math (tied for 1st statewide)
-8th grade Science (Top 5)
Blalock noted that most schools placing higher are for advanced studies or are magnet schools.
Lauren Pipes, who teaches 6th and 7th grade math said, “Our students work very hard every day to become the best mathematicians they can be. We believe that continuing to review every single day is the key to complete understanding. Be the end of the year, they could all be teaching the class…which is a testament to their understanding.”
Current 8th grade student and Student Council President Nolan Hogan agreed with Pipes’s assessment.
“With the wonderful staff and teachers, it is no wonder we have achieved this amount of greatness,” Hogan said.
Blalock said she would also like to praise and extend her thanks to the Assistant Director for Middle School Lori Kelly.
“(She) would not want any credit or recognition but this is a testament to her leadership,” Blalock said.
The LEAP test mirrors the curriculum taught each year and gives a “grade” to each student to assess their readiness for the next level of study. It also gives educators information on where a student may need extra help. After the tests are scored and released in July, a student is given an Advanced, Mastery, Basic, Approaching Basic or Unsatisfactory mark within each section given. In grades below high school, students normally take four sections—English Language Arts (ELA), math, science and social studies—but this year only took three sections as the social studies was a field test and no data was released.
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