House Bill No. 818, introduced by Representative Riser, seeks to amend Louisiana's student assessment regulations under R.S. 17:24.4. The bill establishes that the time public school students spend on assessments cannot exceed two percent of the minimum instructional minutes per year, starting in the 2027-2028 school year. It also expands this limitation to include assessments mandated by federal and state laws, while exempting routine classroom quizzes and tests chosen by teachers. Additionally, public school governing authorities are required to conduct annual reviews of benchmarks and interim assessments, with non-mandated testing left to the discretion of classroom teachers.

The legislation mandates the Department of Education to publish a statewide schedule of mandated assessments on its website, which must also be posted by local school governing authorities. This schedule will help consolidate assessment mandates and provide an annual inventory of required assessments. The bill includes protections for educators, ensuring they cannot face adverse actions for not administering assessments that exceed state or federal requirements or lack instructional value. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is empowered to enforce these provisions, including establishing a complaint process for violations and the ability to grant waivers. Overall, the bill aims to streamline assessment processes, enhance instructional time, and promote transparency in public school assessments.

Statutes affected:
HB818 Original: 17:4(F)(6)