[StBernard] Boasso criticizes LEAP

[Westley Annis]

Boasso criticizes LEAP
 By WILL SENTELL
Advocate Capitol News Bureau
Published: Sep 21, 2007 - Page: 1A 

Democratic gubernatorial contender Walter Boasso said the state should
consider scrapping one of the key parts of Louisiana's push to improve
public schools.

The policy casualty would be  LEAP, which fourth- and eighth-graders have to
pass, as well as meeting other requirements, to move to the fifth and ninth
grades.

"I am not happy with the way LEAP works now," Boasso said in a telephone
interview for his views on public school issues.

Asked if he wants to do away with the test if elected governor he said, "It
would be on the table for discussions."

Boasso, a state senator from Arabi, also said he has problems with the
Graduation Exit Exam, which high-school students have to pass to earn a
diploma.

State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek and Leslie Jacobs of New
Orleans, vice-president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education, disputed Boasso's stance.

Top state educators said LEAP has improved student achievement and enhanced
the state's national image on public schools. They also said most students
pass it.

"I think that if we were to do away with that (LEAP) we would lose all the
gains that we have made over the last several years," Pastorek said
Thursday.

Jacobs said Louisiana was one of six states in the nation cited recently for
closing the school performance gap between poor minority students and
others.

"A lot of that is driven by the success of LEAP," Jacobs said. "It forces us
to put the time, attention, money and resources on those students most in
need.

"I don't know why one would want to mess with success," she added later.

Boasso's stance also put him at odds with his three key rivals in the Oct.
20 primary for governor.

Republican Bobby Jindal, Democrat Foster Campbell and John Georges, who has
no party affiliation, all said to varying degrees that they support LEAP.

LEAP stands for Louisiana Educational Assessment Program. It has been a high
stakes test - that means it is linked to grade passage - since 2000.

LEAP is designed to make sure that fourth- and eighth-graders master basic
skills in math and English and to end social promotions.

About 94,000 public school students took the test in March. Those who failed
took it again after summer school.

Among fourth-graders 83 percent passed the exam, up five points over last
year. Among eighth-graders 77 percent passed, a gain of six points over last
year.

"I am inclined to look at a different way to measure," Boasso said.

He said he would prefer that students in all grades undergo tests of some
kind at the start and middle of the school year.

Boasso said that approach would allow the state to see if teachers are doing
a good job and whether students are learning. A third test would be given at
the end of the school year, he said.

However, unlike LEAP and GEE the Boasso test results would not be linked to
promotion for fourth- and eighth-graders or to high-school graduation.  

Instead, the test scores would be used for "guidance" so that teachers and
principals know what needs to be done, Brian Welsh, a spokesman for Boasso,
said Thursday in an e-mail response to questions.

Pastorek said LEAP and GEE are vital tools in creating high education
standards and expectations in Louisiana.

LEAP has triggered periodic  criticism over the years,  including failed
legislative attempts that would have ended the requirement for students to
pass the test for passage.

High-school students have multiple chances to pass the GEE in math, English
and either science or social studies.

Jacobs said a recent report showed that only 1 percent of high-school
seniors failed to graduate because they could not pass GEE.
"I think our high stakes testing policy has been extraordinarily
successful," Jacobs said.

Asked about LEAP, Jindal said state officials "cannot afford to weaken our
accountability."

Campbell said that, while LEAP may need to be modified, he wants to keep it.
Georges said while LEAP may warrant tweaking, he would defer to education
experts on the issue, including Pastorek. 

  
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