LAC 28:CXV.2316. Assessment Requirements

A. For incoming freshmen in 2010-2011 and beyond, students must meet assessment requirements to earn a standard diploma. B. Prior to or upon the student’s entering the tenth grade, all LEAs shall notify each student and his/her parents or guardians of the requirement of passing LEAP tests. C. Upon their entering a school system, students transferring to any high school of an LEA shall be notified by that system of the graduation requirement for passing LEAP. D. Students enrolled in a course for which there is a LEAP test must take the LEAP test. E. For incoming freshmen in the 2010-2011 through 2016-2017 school years, students must pass three end-of-course tests in the following categories: 1. English II or English III; 2. Algebra I or geometry; 3. biology or American history. F. For incoming freshmen in the 2017-2018 through 2023-2024 school years, students must pass three LEAP 2025 assessments in the following categories: 1. English I or English II; 2. Algebra I or geometry; 3. biology or U.S. history. G. Students who enter traditional grade 9 during or after the 2017-2018 school year are required to score level 2 (approaching basic) or above on English I or English II, Algebra I or geometry, and biology or U.S. history to be eligible for a standard high school diploma. H. Covid Exemption. For high school seniors enrolled during spring 2021 and graduating by August 31, 2021, and for high school seniors enrolled during spring 2022 and graduating by August 31, 2022, the following may be substituted for the LEAP 2025 high school assessment requirement, provided the student has initially participated in all required assessments: 1. a score of Silver of higher on ACT WorkKeys for students pursuing a Career Diploma; or 2. an ACT composite score of 17 or higher for all students; or 3. an ACT subject score of 17 or higher in the corresponding LEAP 2025 high school assessment pair, as follows: a. a score of 17 or higher on the ACT English or Reading tests shall satisfy the English I/English II LEAP 2025 high school assessment requirement; b. a score of 17 or higher on the ACT Mathematics test shall satisfy the Algebra I/Geometry LEAP 2025 high school assessment requirement; and c. a score of 17 or higher on the ACT Science test shall satisfy the Biology/U.S. History LEAP 2025 high school assessment requirement; or 4. the student participates in 20 or more extended learning hours per LEAP 2025 high school assessment subject pair for which the student has yet to achieve level 2 (approaching basic) or above, with such instruction provided by a qualified teacher. a. the instruction must take place following the academic year, and the student must demonstrate proficiency corresponding to level 2 (approaching basic) or above, as determined by either the school or school system. b. a qualified teacher is defined as a teacher holding a valid and current Louisiana teaching certificate or has received a final COMPASS evaluation of effective: emerging or higher. c. for purposes of this Section, a qualified teacher is defined as a teacher holding a valid and current Louisiana teaching certificate or has received a final COMPASS evaluation of effective: emerging or higher. I. For incoming freshmen in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school year, the LEAP 2025 Civics assessment will replace the LEAP 2025 U.S. History assessment as the social studies assessment required for graduation. The LEAP 2025 U.S. History assessment will be available through 2026-2027 for those students requiring a retest to fulfill graduation requirements. Students must pass three LEAP 2025 assessments in the following categories: 1. English I or English II; 2. Algebra I or geometry; 3. biology or civics. J. A maximum of one Carnegie unit of elective credit may be applied toward meeting high school graduation requirements by an eighth grade student who has scored at the unsatisfactory achievement level on either the English language arts and/or the mathematics component(s) of the eighth grade LEAP provided the student: 1. successfully completed specially designed elective(s) for LEAP remediation; 2. scored at or above the basic achievement level on those component(s) of the 8th grade LEAP for which the student previously scored at the unsatisfactory achievement level. K. During the transition to new tests, the requirement to count a LEAP 2025 test score as a percentage of the student’s final grade will be waived for high school state assessments as follows: 1. English I, English II, Algebra I, and geometry scores from the fall 2017 administration; the decision to include scores from these assessments in final grades in spring 2018 shall be a district decision that must be outlined in the pupil progression plan. 2. U.S. history scores from the fall and spring administrations in 2017-2018; 3. biology scores from the fall and spring administrations in 2018-2019; and 4. civics scores form the fall and spring administration in 2024-2025. 5. English I, English II, Algebra I, and geometry scores from the comprehensive exams from fall and spring administrations in 2027-2028. L. For incoming freshmen in 2026-2027 and beyond, comprehensive exams in ELA and math replace the LEAP 2025 English I, English II, Algebra I, and geometry assessments required for graduation. The former assessments will be available through the 2028-2029 school year for students requiring a retest to fulfill graduation requirements. 1. Students are required to participate in comprehensive high school exams for ELA and math. The exams will be administered in the spring semester of the second year of the cohort beginning in spring 2028. Retesting shall be available. 2. A passing score on at least one of the LEAP 2025 Biology or LEAP 2025 Civics assessments is required for graduation.