BESE approves latest step in Louisiana’s responsible approach to streamline state assessments
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved policy changes today that will reduce the number of high school state assessments, reinforcing a long-term strategy led by Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley to responsibly streamline the time students and teachers spend on state tests.
“This surgical approach reduces testing while maintaining the validity and rigor of these vital assessments,” said Dr. Brumley. “It shows we can listen to our educators, improve the system, and uphold high expectations.”
Streamlined Structure, Strategic Timing
This latest action will transition Louisiana high schools to a comprehensive exam model for English language arts (ELA) and math, beginning with students entering the ninth grade in the 2026-2027 school year. Instead of taking two separate exams in both ELA and math during high school, students will take one comprehensive exam in each subject at the end of tenth grade.
Currently, Louisiana students are required to take a total of six state assessments in high school: two in ELA (English I and II), two in math (Algebra I and Geometry), one in science (Biology), and one in social studies (Civics). This change will reduce the number of high school state assessments from six to four.
This transition also aligns with the implementation of new Louisiana Student Standards for ELA and math, reinforcing the state’s focus on instructional alignment and efficient assessment design.
Long-Term Commitment to Testing Reduction
This change builds on Louisiana’s multi-year effort to responsibly reduce state testing while maintaining academic rigor and accountability.
- In October 2024, Louisiana reduced testing time in grades 3–8 ELA and math by 20%, eliminating redundancies and streamlining writing and machine-scored tasks.
- In March 2025, Louisiana announced a 50% reduction in social studies testing for grades 3–8, shifting to assessments in grades 3, 5, and 8 aligned to Louisiana’s Freedom Framework standards.
- Currently, the LDOE is considering possible reductions for science in grades 3-8.
State assessments provide invaluable data about the academic progress of students, schools, and school systems. This data is used to provide students with targeted support, guide instructional decisions, and tailor education policy. These responsible shifts are being made in ways that reduce testing time while maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the assessments.