ACT SCORES FOR CLASS OF 2020 AMONG STATE’S TOP FIVE
The Livingston Parish Class of 2020 scored above the state average on the ACT, the state’s test that determines college readiness, according to the Louisiana Department of Education. The exam measures what students have learned in math, English, reading, and science and is used for college admissions and access to scholarships and financial aid, including TOPS.
Livingston Parish’s composite score was 20.0. It was one of five districts — out of a possible 70 — with an average score of at least 20. Others included Plaquemines (20.1), St. Tammany (21.1), and West Feliciana (20.0) parishes, and the Zachary Community School District (21.6).
Locally, French Settlement High and Live Oak High netted the highest composite scores, each averaging a 21.1 on the ACT. French Settlement High and Live Oak High were two of 26 schools statewide with a score of at least 21, which earns schools an “A” grade in the state’s high school rating system.
Narrowly behind those two schools was Holden High (20.9), followed by Maurepas High and Doyle High (20.4), Denham Springs High (20.2), Albany High (19.1), Springfield High (19), and Walker High (18.8).
Approximately 67 percent of last year’s seniors who took the ACT (995 out of 1,483) earned a college-going ACT of 18, compared to the state total of 52 percent. Of that total, 42 percent of Livingston Parish’s seniors scored at least a 21, higher than the statewide total of 32 percent.
Livingston Parish increased its ACT scores among Students with Disabilities (15.8 in 2019 to 16.1 in 2020) and Economically Disadvantaged (18.7 in 2019 to 18.9 in 2020), while the state overall saw declines in both of those subgroups.
Overall, the state has seen a steady decrease in ACT scores since 2013 when the state granted all students free access to the test. Livingston Parish has seen a similar trend.
DISTRICT CREATES LIVINGSTON PARISH TEACHER ASSOCIATION
The Livingston Parish School Board recently voted to create the Livingston Parish Teacher Association to give all teachers a stronger voice in matters across the district. The structure of the association will allow every teacher to have a vote and provide direct input.
“It is our goal that greater and more inclusive dialogue will help make our system stronger and more united in our primary mission of providing our children with a quality education,” Superintendent Joe Murphy said.
Murphy noted that the LPTA will provide input on the district’s calendar, pupil progression, curriculum adoption, textbook adoption, Strong Start plans, safety technology steering, school wellness and third-party administrators (insurance).
STUDENTS RAISE MONEY FOR SCHOOL SUPPLY NEEDS
Pictured with Livingston Assessor Jeff Taylor, from the left, are Carley Forbes, Christian Urbana, Jayde Revish, Grady Smith, Gentry Rogers, Scarlett Kraft, and Principal Laura Dunlap.
Students at Seventh Ward Elementary School recently participated in a Free Dress Day fundraiser to raise money for Assess the Need, the Livingston Parish School Supply Program that provides supplies for needy children in every school in the parish.
The students raised more than $500 and presented Livingston Parish Assessor Jeff Taylor with the check. Taylor is the sponsor of Assess the Need, which recently held its 20th consecutive annual drive in the parish. Over the past 20 years, the program has raised nearly $1 million for school supplies in Livingston Parish.