Math & reading standards and testing in Louisiana
Updated June 2026
Louisiana adopted its own Louisiana Student Standards after revising Common Core, with a strong emphasis on content-rich reading and grade-level math. Students in grades 3-8 take the LEAP 2025 assessment each spring.
Does Louisiana hold kids back in 3rd grade for reading?
Yes. Under Act 422 (effective 2024-25), 3rd graders scoring below the reading standard on LEAP must be retained unless they retake and pass, qualify for an exemption, or use an individual-plan pathway.
Standards
Louisiana Student Standards
Louisiana sets its own grade-level expectations rather than using Common Core, though the core math and reading skills are similar grade to grade.
The key test
The Louisiana state test
LEAP 2025 covers both math and reading in grades 3-8.
Reading the results
Spring, with allowed reading retakes.
Five levels: Unsatisfactory, Approaching Basic, Basic, Mastery, Advanced.
On grade level generally means Mastery; for 3rd-grade promotion the law sets a minimum basic reading score on LEAP.
What's distinctive about Louisiana
Louisiana's gate allows the reading test to be retaken twice and mandates support for any retained student.
Practice the skills, by grade
Whatever Louisiana calls its test, the underlying math and reading skills are grade-level. Practice them directly:
Practice the skills behind the test
Louisiana writes its own standards. What a third grader has to do does not change: multiply, find the main idea, read a paragraph and say what it meant. KangarooKiddo drills those skills in daily sessions of a handful of questions that end on their own. You see where your kid actually stands, they earn rewards you set up and approve.
Source: Louisiana Department of Education. Verified for the 2025-26 school year; policies can change, so confirm with your school.