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BESE committee approves major testing reductions and starts LEAP procurement process; kindergarten readiness screener removed
Summary
The committee approved a plan to reduce the number of social-studies assessments in grades 3–8, confirmed a timeline for a LEAP assessment procurement, and approved removing a separate kindergarten readiness screener as a required state instrument.
The BESE Academic Goals and Instructional Improvement Committee on March 11 approved a departmental plan to shrink student testing time by reducing required social-studies assessments in grades 3–8, outlined a multi-year procurement timeline for the LEAP assessment contract, and voted to remove the state-required kindergarten readiness screener.
Superintendent Brumley and assessment staff said the change to social studies will take effect in the 2027–28 school year and will limit social-studies testing to grades 3, 5, 8 and a high-school civics test. Brumley said the change "basically slic[es] in half the amount of time that students are taking on assessment" for social studies across grades 3–8, from roughly 1,100 minutes to about 550 minutes.
Thomas Lambert, who presented the LEAP procurement timeline, said the department plans to release an RFP during summer 2025, with an extended evaluation and contracting period through the 2025–26 year and a target for administration of new assessment programs in the 2027–28 school year. Lambert noted the agency built extra time into the schedule to allow for potential procurement delays and Office of State Procurement review.
On kindergarten screening, the board approved removing the kindergarten readiness screener requirement and treating literacy and numeracy screeners as the primary kindergarten diagnostic instruments. Brumley told the board that under upcoming changes, kindergarten through third-grade students will receive three annual reading screeners and three annual math screeners, so the department recommended removing the separate kindergarten readiness screener to limit testing burden.
Why it matters: the changes are presented as reductions in total testing time but retain state-level diagnostic and accountability priorities. The department said it worked with psychometricians to reduce test length for some LEAP items this year by about 25–30% without sacrificing validity and reliability.
Board members and two external speakers expressed support and asked for procedural transparency; the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents requested the department follow Administrative Procedure Act requirements in the procurement.
Ending: BESE members asked the department to return with updates at procurement milestones; Lambert said the department expects to bring a contract to BESE for final approval in fall 2026 if timelines hold.
