High-Stakes Testing Season Begins

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Fourth- and eighth-graders attending Louisiana public schools are about to take some of the biggest tests of the year.

On Tuesday, students will take portions of the English and math exams on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, widely known as LEAP.

The rest of the LEAP exam — more English and math as well as science and socials studies — will be given April 11th to the 15th.

Students have to pass the math and English sections, and meet other standards, to move to the fifth and ninth grades.

This will be the second year that LEAP is given at two different times.

The Advocate reports the test, which began in 1999, is designed to make sure students master basic skills before they are promoted.

(Information in the following story is from: The Advocate, http://www.2theadvocate.com )