The state's first Louisiana High School Technology Challenge, organized by ULM professor Mike Beutner, showcased the talents of 56 area high schools. The results of the Dec. 6 competition, held entirely online, are listed below.

The Top 5 Louisiana High School Technology Team Winners include

1st place: L.W. Higgins High School - Jefferson Parish, 95.6 percent;
2nd place: St. Joseph's Academy - East Baton Rouge Parish, 93 percent;
3rd place: Eunice High School - St. Landry Parish, 92.4 percent;
4th place: Delhi HS - Richland Parish, 91.5 percent;
5th place: Catholic of Pointe Coupee - Pointe Coupee Parish, 90.5 percent;

A qualified team of judges at ULM examined and evaluated each team’s work. The overall average score of all of the teams was 82 percent.

The results of the competition are impressive, said Beutner.

"The panel of professors and administrators who judged the event were surprised at the outcome. Some were even astonished. Most adults have no idea that high school students have such valuable skills to help them find information quickly with just a computer. If this Technology Challenge event is an indicator, many students can find accurate and reliable information very quickly indeed."

In the competition, students were rated on the following challenges: searching the Internet for reliable information and citing sources, writing grammatically correct sentences, and downloading files. Students will also have the option to create web sites, spreadsheets, T-shirts and flyers.

Participants and team coaches of winning teams will receive individual and group awards, and every participant will receive a free ULM T-shirt.

For more information about the competition, visit www.ulm.edu/~techchallenge/