STUDENT/ASSESSMENT: Requires students to attain a minimum ACT score set by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as a prerequisite to high school graduation and prohibits state-administered end-of-course assessments for high school students (OR -$4,300,000 GF EX See Note)

HB 614 requires Louisiana high school students to achieve a minimum ACT score set by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to graduate, replacing state-administered end-of-course exams. The bill prohibits all state-level high school end-of-course assessments and mandates that the State Board establish the ACT score threshold through rulemaking, with the specific requirement that it not reduce the state's high school graduation rate. This directly affects all Louisiana public high school students seeking graduation, shifting the primary assessment requirement from subject-specific state tests to a standardized national test. The policy change simplifies graduation requirements by eliminating multiple state exams and centralizing the benchmark on a single national test score.