Louisiana Senate Bill SB246

Louisiana 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/19/25
• Engrossed: 5/22/25
• Refer: 5/27/25
• Report Pass: 5/28/25
• Enrolled: 6/9/25
• Chaptered: 7/1/25
• Passed: 7/1/25

Caption

Provides with respect to the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program. (gov sig) (EN -$2,224,183 GF EX See Note)

Summary

SB 246 amends Louisiana law governing the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program and the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program. The bill directs the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to continue implementing standards-based assessments in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies tied to state content standards and nationally referenced achievement expectations. It also specifies minimum testing frequencies for English language arts and mathematics, and requires that by the 2027-2028 school year science and social studies tests be administered in no more than four grade levels each, with the science and social studies tests not given in the same grades. The bill also preserves Louisiana’s fourth- and eighth-grade proficiency requirements for promotion to grades five and nine in English language arts and mathematics, while keeping the existing framework for remediation, retention, alternative placement, and other interventions when students do not meet proficiency standards. In addition, BESE must study whether nationally normed or criterion-referenced assessments can satisfy federal accountability requirements and report its findings and recommendations to legislative education committees by February 6, 2026.

Impact

SB 246 updates R.S. 17:24.4 by refining the state’s assessment and student-progression rules, especially the structure and frequency of statewide testing in core subjects. It does not eliminate existing proficiency-based promotion requirements, but it narrows and clarifies how science and social studies assessments are administered and requires BESE to evaluate assessment options for federal accountability purposes. The bill affects BESE, the Department of Education, public school students, and local school systems that administer and respond to statewide assessments.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad legislative support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate 36-0 and the House 86-5, indicating strong bipartisan approval. The available record does not include committee testimony or floor debate, but the vote totals suggest the measure was generally viewed as a technical or policy-refinement bill rather than a highly controversial change.

Contention

The main policy questions implied by the bill concern testing design and accountability: whether Louisiana should use nationally normed assessments or criterion-referenced assessments, how to ensure comparability with other states, and how many grade levels should be tested in science and social studies. Another potential point of concern is the continued requirement that fourth- and eighth-grade students demonstrate proficiency to advance, since retention and remediation policies can be contentious among educators and families. However, the voting record shows little overt conflict, suggesting any disagreements were limited or resolved before final passage.