Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 28 - EDUCATION
Part CXI - Bulletin 118-Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices
Chapter 1 - General Provisions
Section CXI-107 - Assessment Programs

A. Kindergarten Developmental Readiness Screening Program (KDRSP). Each school district is required to administer an approved screening instrument to each child entering kindergarten for the first time, with the results to be used for placement and planning instruction.

B. Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP). Criterion-referenced tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies assess student performance relative to specific benchmarks established in the state's content standards and provide data for evaluating student, school, and district performance. The tests assess a student's complex thinking skills as well as knowledge and application of information. These high-stakes tests are tied to promotional policy for grades 4 and 8.

C. Graduation Exit Examination (GEE). Criterion-referenced tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies assess student performance relative to specific benchmarks established in the state's content standards and provide data for evaluating student, school, and district performance. These high-stakes tests require high school students to meet established achievement levels to be eligible to receive a high school diploma.

D. Integrated Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (iLEAP). The iLEAP will integrate criterion-referenced tests and norm-referenced tests into one program to provide data for evaluating students, schools, and district performance in grades 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 beginning with the 2005-2006 academic year.

E. LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 (LAA 1). The LAA 1 is a performance-based student assessment that evaluates each eligible special education student's knowledge and skills in targeted areas. It is an "on-demand" assessment, which means the test administrator directs the student to perform a specific task and then scores the student's performance after the task is completed.

F. LEAP Alternate Assessment; Level 2 (LAA 2). The LAA 2 is a criterion-referenced assessment; which is based on modified academic achievement standards that allow students with persistent academic disabilities who are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) to participate in academic assessments that are sensitive to measuring progress in their learning. The last administration of LAA 2 assessment in grades 3-8 will occur in the academic year 2013-2014.

G. English Language Development Assessment (ELDA). The ELDA is a research-based program designed to measure proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening to English of LEP students; the program began in the 2004-2005 academic year.

H. End-of-Course Tests (EOCT). The EOCT will be administered to high school students enrolled in and/or receiving credit for an EOCT course online beginning fall 2007. The tests, which are criterion-referenced and standards-based, will be phased in over a period of six years to assess student mastery of six high school courses.

I. The Iowa Tests. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), used in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7, and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), used in grade 9, are norm-referenced tests that provide comparative data to evaluate student, school, and district performance. The last administration of The Iowa Tests will occur in the academic year 2004-2005.

J. Graduation Exit Examination ("old" GEE). The "old" GEE measures curricula-based proficiencies in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Written Composition, Science, and Social Studies. The administration of the "old" GEE became a district responsibility beginning with the 2003-2004 academic year.

K. LEAP Alternate Assessment-B (LAA-B). The LAA-B, which was administered from 2000 through 2003, assessed special education students who met specific criteria at their functioning levels in language/reading and/or mathematics, rather than at their enrolled grade levels.

L. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Also known as the Nation's Report Card, NAEP is administered nationally to a random stratified sample population of students to gather data about subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences, and school environment.

M. Field Tests. Representative student populations from school districts throughout Louisiana are chosen to field test new items to be used in future statewide assessments, including LEAP, GEE, ELDA, and iLEAP. The items are tested, scored, ranked statistically, and identified as effective or ineffective.

N. Placement Tests. Students from out-of-district or in-state educational settings, such as approved home study programs or nonpublic schools, who wish to enroll in public schools at grades 5 and 9 must take a placement test if they have not taken and met the requirements for LEAP. Students taking the placement test must score basic or above in English Language Arts or Mathematics and approaching basic or above in the other to enroll in grade 5 and score approaching basic or above in English Language Arts and Mathematics to enroll in grade 9.