Alison Gros, who teaches at Andrew Jackson Elementary School, eats waxworms on Monday, May 25, at the Audubon Insectarium. She had promised her fourth grade class that she would eat worms if the students all passed their LEAP tests. (Mylan Cannon/NYT Institute)

When Alison Gros wanted to come up with a way to get her fourth-grade special education students at Andrew Jackson Elementary School excited for preparing for their Louisiana Educational Assessment Program tests, she came up with a wager that would be tough to swallow. She and her student teacher assistant, Michelle Scott, agreed to eat a worm for every child that passed the test.

Gros got the idea while reading the class “How to Eat Fried Worms,” the popular book by Thomas Rockwell, published in 1973, about a boy who tries to win friends. .

“I knew I wanted them to do better on the tests,” Gros said. “So I said ‘What, about eating worms?’”

Scott thought it was a “perfect idea” and the wagering began.

All fourth- and eighth-grade public school students in the state of Louisiana are required to pass the LEAP test to be promoted to the next grade. There are five assessment levels for the test: unsatisfactory, approaching basic, basic, mastery and advanced.

Knowing what was at stake, as well as the added incentive from Gros, the students worked hard to prepare for the April test. Though the school day ends at 3:30 p.m., many of the students stayed until 5:30 p.m. for extra test practice.

What started out as one worm per passing child quickly changed as the students began increasing the number of worms that had to be eaten.

Gwen Martin (left), mother of fourth grader Mckenzie Binsehus (center), eats Cricket Camp Fire Fudge with students Juwan Suren and Aukierra Track at the Insectarium May 25. (Mylan Cannon/NYT Institute)

“The students turned into real negotiators,” Scott said

The bet was then set at one worm for basic, three worms for mastery and five for advanced.

All 11 of Gros’ students received at least a basic score assessment. One of her students got an advanced score assessment – the second-highest score in the entire school.

The tally: 16 worms.

Originally, Gros planned to get the worms herself and called the Audubon Insectarium to see what worms are edible and where they could be purchased. She was then invited to bring the class down for a field trip on Monday.

Gros and her students filed into the Insectarium, housed in an old government building on Canal Street, as she prepared to hold up her end of the bargain. Two entomologists, Elise Rome and Zack Lemann, cooked up a smorgasbord of worm and insect cuisine for the entire class to sample in the insectarium’s cafeteria.  Fried waxworms, cinnamon-and-sugar waxworms, Cajun waxworms with chili seasoning, barbecued crickets, apple mango chutney with waxworms, cricket herb dip and six-legged salsa with mealworms were on the menu – topped off with cricket marshmallow fudge for dessert.

But first, Gros had to munch on the 16 worms as promised. As she began to pick up the saucer of worms, the class inched closer to witness her first bite. Chants of “Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!” filled the cafeteria. With eyes closed, Gros savored her first worm.

“Not bad,” she said as the class watched on in awe, exploding into a chorus of “ewws” and “yucks,” followed by snickers.

A true sport, for part of her 16, Gros was even brave enough to try a few raw waxworms.

“It sort of popped in my mouth and guts gushed out,” Gros said. “It didn’t taste too bad, but the texture was not at all what I expected.”

Scott, too, didn’t care much for the waxworms.

“The wax worms were kind of weird,” Scott said. “But I did it for the kids.”

The kids did their part, but with maybe a bit less enthusiasm. Caleb Lund, 10, enjoyed watching his teacher eat worms but said he was now done with such cuisine. He grimaced at the question of eating more worms, firmly replying “No.”

“They taste different,” he said.

Because of the increased enthusiasm and positive test scores, Gros and Scott are thinking of trying this every year.

“The kids responded so well we may have to do it again,” Scott said. “I can see us making it a tradition.”