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House committee advances bill to ban portfolio-based graduation appeals

The Louisiana State House in Baton Rouge
Kezia Setyawan
/
WWNO
The Louisiana State House in Baton Rouge on April 5, 2022.

The House Education Committee voted 10-3 to advance a bill that would block the creation of a portfolio-based appeals process for students who fail to pass state tests required for graduation.

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education passed a policy last year that allowed students to graduate if they failed to pass exams, but completed a portfolio and met other additional requirements.

Lawmakers tried to repeal the policy, but former Gov. John Bel Edwards stopped them. Then, Gov. Jeff Landry too office and immediately killed the short-lived process.

The bill only prohibits the use of a portfolio, which some lawmakers argued is too subjective. It would still allow for other appeals criteria to be considered and used if approved.

Louisiana is the only state in the nation where students currently don’t have the option to appeal. The bill heads next to the full House.

Molly Ryan is a political reporter and covers state politics from the Louisiana Capitol.