Concordia Parish schools are set to turn one step into a big LEAP … of sorts. The school district officials are considering a plan to move third grade classes from the lower elementaries (where students are housed with first- and second-graders) to upper elementaries (where they would be housed with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders).

The goal is simple: to give these students a better education and, as a result, improve the district’s scores on the state-mandated LEAP test.

The test, administered to fourth- and eighth-graders, is the bar by which all districts are measured. Students must pass the basic skills and knowledge test to move on to the next grade, and the district must maintain a certain pass-fail ratio to continue to receive state subsidies.

With the parish scores below expectations, district officials say moving the third-graders to the upper elementaries is necessary. Moreover, the officials say, the move will open channels of communication between third- and fourth-grade teachers, giving them the opportunity to discuss skills and deficits in students and, ultimately, better tailor their teaching efforts to helping students learn.

It makes sense.

And while the logistics are yet to be resolved, it’s a move that needs to take place.

We encourage the public to support this plan, which still must pass through the federal court system for approval, and we encourage parents whose students who will be most affected by the plan to take an active role in helping implement the changes.

It’s an opportunity to take a giant step forward in the parish’s educational system, and it’s a step worth taking.