Do you think Louisiana should join the other 49 states and allow for an appeal process when a student fails an End of Course (EOC) test needed for graduation? 

On January 8, 2024, newly elected Governor Landry, by Executive Order, vetoed the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (BESE) new policy establishing an appeals process for qualifying high school seniors who do not meet the state’s LEAP test scoring requirement for graduation.

Louisiana is one of only eight states that require students to pass a standardized test to graduate high school and is the only state that does not allow students to appeal a failed EOC test. To earn their diploma, students must continue to take the test until they pass. In reality, these students get frustrated, humiliated, and eventually drop out! Unfortunately, the evidence shows that such tests actually decrease student motivation. It prevents Louisiana students who would otherwise graduate from joining the workforce, attending college or enlisting in the military. This leads to an overwhelming increase in the dependency of welfare programs.

While The April Dunn Act (2014) allows for students with disabilities with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to graduate through an alternative pathway, there are many students with disabilities who do not have an IEP that struggle to pass EOC tests due to their disability.

Rather than investing in substantial efforts to improve teaching and learning, Louisiana has created a system that values EOC testing as the cure for our problems. These tests may have a place in our attempts to improve schools, but the inflated role they currently play represents our inability to create deeper reforms to move us away from a one-size-fits-all approach. EOC tests fail to account for differences between students such as language deficiencies, learning disabilities, difficult home lives, or varying knowledge of US cultural conventions.

The Council, LaCAN and other advocacy groups like the Arc of Louisiana are encouraging everyone in the disability community impacted by the Executive Order to reach out to Governor Landry and his appointed BESE members.

How to Take Action

Email or call Governor Landry’s office and his three appointed BESE members by Tuesday, January 16^th.

·   Governor Jeff Landry - Email the Governor or 225-342-7015 / 866-366-1121

·   Conrad Appel - SBESE@la.gov or 225-342-5840

·   Dr. Judy Armstrong - SBESE@la.gov or 225-342-5840

·   Simone Champagne - SBESE@la.gov or 225-342-5840

With your comments, please include your name, address, phone number, email address and the issue you are addressing: Veto of Graduation Appeals Process Executive Order Number JML -24-01.

Find out more about LaCAN and read more action alerts on their website: www.lacanadvocates.org