State reports K–3 literacy gains; K–2 screeners to be added to school accountability

At an Accountability Council meeting, Louisiana Department of Education presenter Thomas Lambert reported statewide gains on the K–3 literacy screener and said the department will include K–2 end‑of‑year results in the state’s school performance calculations beginning in the 2025–26 school year. "Across grades, kindergarten through third grade, we saw a 17‑point increase in terms of on and above student proficiency on K through 3 literacy screener," Lambert said, adding specific gains of 33 points in kindergarten, 19 in first grade, 11 in second grade and 8 in third grade. Dr. Brumley, a department leader on assessment and accountability, said those end‑of‑year results align with a separate 11‑point gain between end‑of‑year 2023 and end‑of‑year 2024 and indicated early evidence that the statewide approach is taking hold. "I would not be surprised…