Concordia Parish student scores perfect on the LEAP ELA test

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - A student in Concordia Parish made a perfect score on the English Language Arts Literacy (ELA) portion of the LEAP test this year.

KNOE spoke with the family about how they helped her prepare.

According to the CDC, when some students take a big test they experience short-term stress, but Brylee Marsalis says when she went to take the LEAP test she didn’t let fear overwhelm her.

“I didn’t really think anything but to do my best, really,” said Brylee.

Marsalis went to Ferriday Upper Elementary school last year. That’s where she achieved a perfect score on the ELA portion of the test and she says she didn’t expect to do so well.

“I was just shocked really. My mom was happy and my dad was happy as well,” said Brylee.

Her father, Fred Marsalis Jr., says ‘happy’ is an understatement.

“With my wife being in education, she got the test scores and I think that was the biggest reward she could have received, is knowing her daughter got a perfect score in ELA,” he said. “Then when she called me in, she was already spinning around in her chair celebrating so she was ecstatic.”

Brylee’s mother Betty says her daughter has a very strict after-school schedule. She has limited the time when she can use social media and watch TV. Then they make sure she reads each night before going to bed.

“So we really promote reading at home. For Brylee, she has a very strict schedule, she knows when she comes home we don’t do the technology immediately. We do our homework, you get in bed at this time but you have 30 minutes to watch TV but the TV goes off at a certain time,” said Betty.

She says this structure could have contributed to Brylee’s success. Last week, Ferriday Superintendant Tonyua Watson rewarded her with a certificate and a bag of art supplies.

Brylee says after graduating college her goal is to become a film director.

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