Data released on Wednesday from the Louisiana Department of Education showed the statewide school performance score has increased for the third consecutive year. Louisiana students this year achieved the highest score under the current 150-point system. The 2024 school performance score of 80.2 improved by nearly two points from the previous year, a 78.5 score. “Louisiana students continue to make progress. A third consecutive year of growth is a testament to the many talented educators across our state and the student-first commitment from Governor Landry, the Legislature, and our board,” Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley said in a department news release. This is the latest study to show Louisiana students are maintaining and accelerating academic gains since the pandemic, but it isn’t the only data point to do so. Louisiana has also achieved its highest national rankings ever, moving from 46th to 40th on the U.S. News & World Report Best States ranking. Other studies showed growth in Louisiana as well, with the national report card saying the state’s fourth graders led the country in reading growth and economically disadvantaged fourth graders improved from 42nd to 11th in reading. ExcelinEd’s new Early Literacy Matters put the state at the top of a national list for adopting a comprehensive early literacy policy to provide students with the foundational reading skills to learn, graduate, and succeed. The state was one of only three states taking action on all 18 of the organization’s early literacy fundamental principles. It paid off as Louisiana students in grades kindergarten through third grade improved their reading scores by 10 percentage points on the state’s first universal literacy screener. Additionally, the education recovery scorecard said the Pelican State is one of three states where average reading achievement in 2023 was above 2019 levels. The progress doesn’t stop there. The LDOE also released 2024 Early Childhood Performance Profiles Wednesday. The latest early childhood data reveals a 5.49 statewide performance rating, indicating a 0.07 increase from 2022-2023. More than 95% of early childhood sites are rated proficient or higher, with 91% of school districts rated as high proficient or excellent.