Get Involved
Proof of Progress: Louisiana Students Lead the Nation
Louisiana’s education progress has once again received significant national recognition! The newest Education Scorecard from researchers at Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth shows Louisiana now ranks #1 in the nation for reading growth, #2 for math growth, and #1 overall for academic improvement from 2022–2025. Even more remarkable, Louisiana is now the only state in the country where student achievement has surpassed pre-pandemic levels in both reading and math.
This isn’t a one-year trend. Louisiana also made enormous progress in the previous national scorecard, confirming that the state’s academic gains are sustained and accelerating.
LABI was proud to attend this week’s scorecard unveiling and applauds the educators, students, families, policymakers and the team at the Louisiana Department of Education, led by State Superintendent Cade Brumley, for their leadership and continued focus on raising expectations, strengthening accountability and emphasizing the fundamentals.
Louisiana’s success reflects years of sustained, evidence-based policy changes and classroom investments. Key efforts include:
- Implementation of K-3 literacy and math screeners to identify learning gaps early and ensure students reach important benchmarks.
- Expansion of high-dosage tutoring to provide targeted academic support.
- Continued investment in teacher training and professional development to strengthen classroom instruction statewide.
The report also spotlighted several Louisiana school systems for exceptional progress:
- Natchitoches Parish — recognized for growth in both reading and math
- West Baton Rouge, St. Martin and Concordia Parishes — recognized for reading growth
- Lafourche, St. John the Baptist and Webster Parishes — recognized for math growth
The data also makes clear that challenges remain. Chronic absenteeism has increased statewide, underscoring the need to keep students engaged and in the classroom.
For Louisiana’s business community, this progress matters. Stronger schools translate directly into a stronger workforce and a stronger economy. While important work remains, these results show Louisiana continues to move in the right direction—and LABI is proud to stand in support of the education reforms helping drive this momentum.