The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released the results of the 2024 Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP), which measures student proficiency in English/language arts (ELA), math, and science in grades 3-12. Scores are categorized across five levels: Unsatisfactory, Approaching Basic, Basic, Mastery, and Advanced.

Three Big Takeaways

1. Overall, NSBR-supported charter schools outperformed EBR district-run open enrollment schools in absolute performance and improvement.

Highlights of K-8 Schools

• 24% of students attending NSBR portfolio schools scored at the Mastery level or above compared to 22% of students attending EBR district-run open enrollment schools.
• NSBR portfolio schools posted a 4.5-point average growth rate, while EBR district-run open enrollment schools had a 2.9-point average growth rate.
• 46% of NSBR portfolio schools grew 3 points or better, while only 26% of EBR district-run open enrollment schools experienced the same growth rate.

Highlights of 9-12 Schools

• 18% of students attending NSBR portfolio schools scored at the Mastery level or above compared to 10% of students attending EBR district-run open enrollment schools.
• NSBR portfolio schools posted a 4.6-point average growth rate, while EBR direct-run open enrollment schools remained stagnant.
• 32% of students attending NSBR portfolio schools scored at the Mastery level or higher in English/language arts (ELA), with 16% of students attending EBR direct-run open enrollment schools achieving this level.
• 26% of students attending NSBR portfolio schools scored at the Mastery level or higher in math, with 8% of students attending EBR direct-run open enrollment scoring at the Mastery level or above.

2. NSBR schools saw some of the highest performance improvements in the city.

• BASIS Mid City was the state's top school for growth, posting a 16-point increase combined (ELA, math, science) over last year's results.
• BASIS Materra grew by 4 points in ELA and 14 points in math. It is now among the highest-performing open enrollment schools in the state, with 72% of students achieving Mastery in ELA and 74% in math.
• GEO Prep Academy grew the percentage of students at the Mastery level by 5 points in ELA and 4 points in math, while GEO Mid City grew by 6 points in ELA and now outperforms state averages in ELA.
• Collegiate Baton Rouge increased the percentage of students at the Mastery level or above by 6 points on high school ELA assessments and 3 points on high school math assessments.
• Helix Aviation grew the percentage of students at the Mastery level in ELA by 7 points.
• Two of our newest portfolio schools, Baton Rouge Ochsner Discovery (BROD) and Great Hearts Harveston, posted strong scores in their inaugural year of testing; 35% of students attending BROD and 33% of Harveston students scored at the Mastery level or above.

3. While we are buoyed by the success and progress of the latest scores, there is still much work to be done.

We remain far from our goal. Across East Baton Rouge (Type 1 charter schools, open enrollment schools, and magnet schools), 71% of students are still below the Mastery level on state assessments. Thirty-nine percent of 3rd graders scored below "Basic" on the ELA assessment, while 63% of 8th graders scored below "Basic" in math. We still have a lot of work to do.

New Schools for Baton Rouge applauds the hard-working teachers, leaders, parents, and students who show up every day committed to improving education in Baton Rouge. We will continue to work alongside them to ensure every student has access to an excellent education regardless of which school they attend.