Education advisory council approves revisions to Bulletins to standardize kindergarten literacy and numeracy screeners

The Education Advisory Council voted to receive revisions to Bulletin 118 (Statewide Standards and Practices) and Bulletin 741 (Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators Regarding Kindergarten Screeners), a package that would make the statewide literacy and a future numeracy screener the required kindergarten entry screeners and reduce the number of separate assessments teachers must administer.

Ashley Townsend, Deputy Chief of Policy for the Louisiana Department of Education, said the proposed revisions aim to “reduce the number of kindergarten assessments” so teachers and students spend less time testing and have more time for instruction and early interventions. Townsend described the screeners as short, administered at the beginning, middle and end of the year, and said parents are notified within 15 days when a child’s beginning‑of‑year screen indicates that targeted support is needed.

The revision package was the subject of public comment at the meeting. Farishae Perkins, a parent,…