The bill, HB 762, proposes significant changes to the assessment requirements for high school students in Louisiana, particularly those pursuing career diplomas. It removes the mandate for these students to take the ACT and allows them to opt for the WorkKeys test or the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) instead. Additionally, for students pursuing other types of diplomas, if state board policy requires them to take the ACT, they will also have the option to take the WorkKeys test and ASVAB. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is tasked with developing a system of equivalent scores for these assessments to ensure accountability for schools and districts.

The bill also stipulates that the new provisions will be implemented starting with the 2025-2026 school year. It amends existing law to expand the requirement for BESE to create a scoring system to include all three tests—ACT, WorkKeys, and ASVAB—ensuring that the highest score achieved by a student is used for accountability purposes. The amendments adopted by the conference committee reject previous Senate amendments that would have allowed all students to take any of the three assessments without the specified conditions.

Statutes affected:
HB762 Original: 17:3(B)(3)
HB762 Reengrossed: 17:3(B)(3)
HB762 Enrolled: 17:3(B)(3)
HB762 Act 635: 17:3(B)(3)