LEAP scores show Louisiana gains, 64% still below Mastery

(The Center Square) — Louisiana students posted the highest overall Mastery rate in state history, but the state’s own data show most students still are not scoring at the level education officials want.

Results from the 2026 Louisiana Educational Assessment Program show 36% of students in grades 3-12 scored Mastery or Advanced, a two-point increase from last year and the highest overall statewide rate on record, according to data released Monday by the Louisiana Department of Education.

The record score still means 64% of Louisiana students tested did not reach Mastery or Advanced, a figure that State Superintendent Cade Brumley acknowledges must be improved.

“We cannot be satisfied and must build on this success as we raise expectations,” Brumley said.

That gap is likely to remain central to the state’s education debate as lawmakers continue putting billions of dollars into public schools through the Minimum Foundation Program, LA GATOR and other initiatives.

The gains are broad. M...