BATON ROUGE — More students scored a Mastery or Advanced on LEAP standardized tests during the 2025-26 school year than ever before in state history, data released Monday by the Louisiana Department of Education shows.

According to the data, there was a two-percentage-point increase in students scoring Mastery or Advanced in grades three through 12. This bumps the number of students scoring Mastery and above to 36%. 

The LEAP results showed that students improved or maintained Mastery or Advanced ratings in 28 of the 31 grades and courses assessed by LEAP, LDOE data says. 

Across the state, third through eighth graders' rate of Mastery and above scores increased one point in math, two in social studies and science and held steady in English language arts. High schoolers saw their rate of Mastery and Advanced scores increase by five points in civics, three in English II and U.S. history, two in Algebra I and held steady in biology and geometry. The changes were not all gains, with English I's rate declining by two points.

Almost nine out of 10 Louisiana school systems improved or maintained their grades three through 12 Mastery+ rate, with 75% improving from 2025 to 2026, 10% maintaining and 15% declining.

The education department noted that this is the first set of LEAP scores that will contribute to School Performance Scores under Louisiana's revised accountability system, "Grow. Achieve. Thrive."