Academics » Explore, Plan, ACT, & EOC Tests

Explore, Plan, ACT, & EOC Tests

EXPLORE, PLAN, ACT

Students in 8th through 11th grade will take a series of assessments, including EXPLORE, PLAN and ACT, to ensure students are on track to graduate from high school on time and with the knowledge and skills to succeed in college and challenging 21st century careers. These tests assess student achievement of English, reading, math and science. Students earn a score in each subject and a composite score which reflects all subjects. These rigorous and nationally comparable assessments are a key tool to prepare for Common Core assessments, specifically as they allow for consistency in the measurement of college and career readiness from year to year.

EXPLORE

Students in 8th and 9th grades will take EXPLORE. This test is scored on a scale of 0 to 25.

PLAN

Students in 10th grade will take PLAN. This test is scored on a scale of 0 to 32.

ACT

Students in 11th grade will take the ACT, or American College Test. This test is scored on a scale of 0 to 36. The state average is 20.1 points.

END-OF-COURSE TESTING

High school students take End-of-Course tests in six subjects: Algebra I, Geometry, English II and III, Biology and U.S. History.

Beginning in 2013-14, students will take End-of-Course tests in English language arts and mathematics that are aligned to Common Core State Standards.

Students can earn the following scores on End-of-Course tests:

  • Excellent: A student demonstrates superior performance of the course content.
  • Good: A student demonstrates mastery of course content and is well prepared for the next level of coursework in the subject.
  • Fair: A student demonstrates only the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of coursework in the subject.
  • Needs Improvement: A student does not demonstrate the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of coursework in the subject.

End-of-Course tests comprise between 15% and 30% of the student’s final grade in the subject. School districts determine the percentage. For students who were eligible for the LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 2 (LAA 2) prior to taking their first End-Of-Course exam, the End-of-Course exam score counts for 5% of their final grade.

To earn a standard high school diploma, students must earn a score of Fair or above on three End-of-Course tests, including one in each category – Algebra I or Geometry, English II or English III, and Biology or U.S. History. Students who earn a score of Needs Improvement must receive 30 hours of remediation in the course and are eligible to retake the test at the next administration.

Students with disabilities who have passed two End-of-Course tests may be eligible for a waiver of the third exam required for graduation. Also, students eligible for LAA 2 may choose to take the LAA 2 tests to meet graduation requirements if they do not pass the End-Of-Course tests.

PARTNERSHIP FOR ASSESSMENT OF READINESS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREERS (PARCC)

In order to prepare students for Louisiana's economy, our state is raising expectations for students. As a part of this transition, students in grades 3-8 will take the PARCC test beginning in the 2014-15 school year. The PARCC assessment is aligned to Louisiana's standards and has been developed with significant input from Louisiana educators. Louisiana has been a key partner in identifying content for the test, developing the specific items, and guiding the technology specifications. In addition, the assessment has other important advantages for our state.

  1. Our students can demonstrate that they are on par with their peers across the country, through scores that are comparable across 19 states.

  2. Students will be asked to think independently, not just fill in bubble tests. PARCC is a “test worth taking” as it mirrors the demands of every day life.

  3. Our state's educators have been involved in test development, including item reviews and policy making.

  4. Online testing allows increased accessibility features for all students and more comprehensive accommodations for students with disabilities. Accessibility features include highlighters, adjusted font size, masking tool to block eliminated answer choices, line readers, etc.  Accommodations include videos of human interpreters, closed captioning, word prediction, etc.

  5. The state will not pay more for a higher-quality assessment.