LDOE outlines third‑grade promotion, retention guidance and summer supports

The Louisiana Department of Education briefed the Superintendents Advisory Council on implementation details for third-grade retention and promotion requirements, including adjusted testing windows, documentation expectations for good-cause exemptions and required supports for students in the following school year.

LDOE staff said they adjusted the end‑of‑year testing schedule for third-grade literacy to better align with district calendars and the statutory intent. The department emphasized that when a district uses a statutory "good-cause" exemption to promote a child who did not meet literacy benchmarks, the exemption should be documented and the student provided an individual academic support plan.

"Parent notification, progress monitoring and intervention plan, the time that that student spends in a reading block and an intervention block, and the teacher that they have access to during that, repeated year in third grade is not only very important to ensure their success and their growth, but it's also listed in the law," LDOE staff said, summarizing statutory requirements for supports in both retained and promoted students.

The department urged districts to staff summer learning programs with teachers trained in the science of reading and to prioritize explicit, evidence‑based reading instruction during summer interventions. LDOE reiterated that good‑cause exemptions must be accompanied by documentation explaining the basis for the exemption and that the department expects districts to communicate plans with families and to monitor student progress.

A motion to receive the update was made and seconded; the council received the report.