BESE establishes appeals process for potential graduates who fail standardized test

Jakori Madison, Lafayette Daily Advertiser
Updated ·2 min read

Some graduating high school students who fail to score high enough on standardized tests can take advantage of a new appeals process policy.

The policy was proposed in June, but originally the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education opposed the process. The committee heard comments from several BESE members and Louisiana Education Superintendent Cade Brumley during a “unique situation" that saw the two bodies on opposite sides of the issue. The committee voted 8-3 to reject the proposal.

Louisiana is one of only eight states that requires a standardized test for graduation. Of those states, Louisiana was the only state that did not have an appeal procedure.

Graduation testing appeals policy goes into effect that allows students who failed to score high enough on standardized test appeal
Graduation testing appeals policy goes into effect that allows students who failed to score high enough on standardized test appeal

Beginning Dec. 20, BESE established its appeals process. Students meeting the policy’s eligibility requirements, including those who would have graduated with the Class of 2023, may exercise the option to appeal.

School districts with seniors who have met all other graduation criteria may move forward with the school-building level committee process to determine if students meet the appeals process criteria.

The expanded criteria for every learner in Louisiana process provides an appeal option for seniors who have demonstrated the knowledge and skills sufficient to graduate but struggle with difficulties related to standardized tests, such as English language learners and students with other learning challenges.

“With the creation of the EXCELL graduation test appeal policy, Louisiana is right-sizing its use of standardized tests,” said BESE President Dr. Holly Boffy.

Students seeking an appeal must meet the following requirements:

  1. Complete all Carnegie unit requirements for TOPS University or TOPS Tech Career Diploma

  2. Demonstrate content proficiency by:

    • Meeting the standard assessment requirement in a content pair (must test at least twice and complete at least 30 hours of co-requisite or remedial instruction) -and/or-

    • Creating a portfolio of work aligned to the standards for one subject in the LEAP 2025 pair unfulfilled by the standardized test score (future seniors must create a portfolio for both subjects in a pair)

  3. Demonstrate evidence of employability by earning one of the following:

    • A Silver or higher rating on ACT WorkKeys (National Career Readiness Certificate) -or-

    • A TOPS Tech award - or -

    • A Louisiana JumpStart-approved Industry Based Credential

  4. Meet with a local career support organization who can help connect them to opportunities after graduation.

The Louisiana Department of Education has developed initial implementation and portfolio guidance for local school systems, which may be accessed here.

All appeals will be administered at the local school level, and participating students are still required to take the LEAP assessment. Midyear LEAP assessment results currently coming in may be used to help schools to determine which students should file an appeal.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana BESE adopts appeals process for potential graduates