So, What is Louisiana Doing?

My Views Are My Own

By Lisa Schonhoff, Ed.S.

11/5/2025

As I continue to review the literacy initiatives of other states, I look to Louisiana.  It is the only state to have raised its average 4th grade literacy scores since the pandemic and have shown some of the smallest decline in average scores for 8th grade, according to the national assessment (NAEP).  After digging through their Department of Education website, I learned that they, like Mississippi, have a third grade retention policy, they develop their OWN curriculum, and they developed the Let Teachers Teach Initiative to guide their lawmakers and educators.  I decided to set up an appointment with their state literacy team to learn more!

First and foremost, Louisiana develops their OWN curriculum.  ELA Guidebooks are developed for Louisiana teachers by Louisiana teachers at very minimal cost!  As a proponent of local control, they foster a culture of allowing school districts to choose curriculum materials. More than 100 Louisiana school districts (including those that are top performing) are using ELA Guidebooks.  Teachers love this curriculum because it’s user-friendly, meets the needs of their students, integrates writing into EVERY lesson, and encourages the use of physical books!  This curriculum keeps kids engaged in learning, which has been shown to reduce chronic absenteeism AND minimize behavioral issues.  When standards are reviewed and adapted, the curriculum can be easily adjusted to align with the standards.  No more spending millions of dollars on unproven or controversial curriculum materials that don’t meet the needs of students.  

Second, Louisiana’s governor introduced their Let Teachers Teach Initiative to guide lawmakers and educators.  There are six categories of recommendations made in this document:  Professional Learning, Required Training, Student Behavior and Discipline, Nonacademic Responsibilities, Curriculum and Instruction, and Planning.  Excessive behaviors are one of the top causes of teacher burnout.  It is critical that administrators develop policies that guard instructional time and remove excessive behaviors from the plates of educators.  Soft disciplinary strategies make children and educators less safe and drive Nebraska’s teachers from the field of teaching.  Louisiana recommends the following bullet points for excessive behaviors as well as chronic absenteeism:

• Place ungovernable students at alternative sites for behavior support.  School systems should place ungovernable middle and high school students at alternative school sites to maintain classroom order for all students and while also providing an environment for misbehaving students to receive needed support. 

• Address challenges of chronic absenteeism. Keeping habitually tardy or absent students on track is overwhelming for teachers, as they struggle to manage students’ incomplete work and lack of structured instructional time. There must be engagement between school systems, district attorneys, juvenile judges, and safety-net organizations creating clear guidelines for addressing student absenteeism.

I won’t discuss Louisiana’s retention policy as it is very similar to Mississippi’s retention policy that I explained in my previous post. You can view their Third Grade Promotion Guide here.  In summary, we have an excellent opportunity to learn from other states.  While Nebraska is making strides in literacy, there is still a great deal of work to be accomplished if we are to see long-term literacy gains.  

Photo Credit: 2024 NAEP Mathematics and Reading, Grades 4 and 8 – Infographic.