LEAP testing to be canceled

President Donald Trump announced Friday he will waive all federal requirements for K-12 standardized testing, opening the door for Louisiana to legally cancel LEAP 2025 testing for the school year.

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday had updated his Public Health Emergency declaration to include suspension of testing and attendance requirements, but that could not truly take effect without the go-ahead from the federal government, as all states are under certain testing mandates via the Every Student Succeeds Act.

This follows the suspension earlier this week of accountability requirements such as the School Performance Scores and District Performance Scores usually issued each school year by the Louisiana Department of Education.

With those scores and LEAP testing gone, the latest word from Gov. Edwards as of Friday afternoon was that “the plan is still to open school later this year.” The current closure is in place until April 13.