Louisiana Homeschool Testing Requirements and Standardized Testing Options

Louisiana does not require home study students to take standardized tests. Testing is one of three options for annual BESE renewal — not a mandate. But for families who choose to test, understanding which exams count, how scores are evaluated, and how testing interacts with TOPS scholarship eligibility determines whether you are making strategic use of the requirement or simply checking a box.

Is Testing Required in Louisiana?

No. The BESE-Approved Home Study Program offers three pathways for demonstrating the annual "satisfactory evidence" of educational quality required by R.S. 17:236.1:

1. A curriculum packet (subject list plus work samples)
2. Standardized test scores
3. A statement from a Louisiana-certified teacher

Families who submit a curriculum packet or teacher statement never take a standardized test and remain fully compliant. Testing is a choice, not a legal requirement.

Families registered under the Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval pathway have no testing requirements and no annual renewal-evidence submission; annual registration with the LDOE is still required. The trade-off is that Nonpublic pathway students do not receive TOPS eligibility while using that pathway; time spent there cannot be counted retroactively, and a later switch remains subject to current LOSFA and BESE requirements.

Which Standardized Tests Louisiana Accepts

For families using the testing route for BESE renewal, the LDOE accepts the following exams:

• ACT (high school)
• SAT (high school)
• Stanford Achievement Test (all grades)
• Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) (all grades, also known as Iowa Assessments)
• California Achievement Test (CAT) (all grades)
• Louisiana LEAP assessments (state-administered)

The key criterion is that the score must demonstrate the student is performing at or above grade level, or has shown at least one year's worth of academic growth from a prior test. The LDOE reviews submitted score reports and confirms whether the standard is met — it is an objective determination rather than a subjective review.

How Scores Are Evaluated for Renewal

The LDOE does not publish a specific percentile cutoff for renewal approval across all grades and all tests. The general standard applied is grade-level performance or demonstrated year's-worth-of-progress.

For nationally normed tests like the Stanford Achievement Test and ITBS, use the test's grade-level reporting and the LDOE's quality standard rather than assuming a universal percentile cutoff. Families may set a conservative target to build in a margin, but should confirm the submitted report meets the applicable standard.

For the ACT and SAT, renewal performance is a separate question from TOPS thresholds. Meeting a TOPS score does not by itself establish grade-level performance for BESE renewal; submit evidence that meets the applicable renewal standard.

If a student's score falls below the grade-level benchmark, the LDOE does not automatically revoke approval. The department follows up requesting additional evidence or clarification. Responding promptly with a curriculum packet or teacher statement can often address the clarification request.

Choosing a Test: Practical Considerations

For elementary-age students (grades 1–8): The Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Stanford Achievement Test are the most commonly used by Louisiana home study families. Both are nationally normed, widely administered by home study cooperatives and test centers, and familiar to LDOE reviewers. The ITBS is available through independent testing centers, some co-ops, and directly from testing service providers. The Stanford Achievement Test is available through similar channels.

Neither requires special registration with the state. Parents locate a testing provider, register, administer the test under the provider's protocols, and receive score reports that can be submitted with the renewal application.

For high school students: The ACT is the practical choice because it can serve double duty. A qualifying ACT result can support the BESE annual renewal option and contribute to TOPS eligibility, which also depends on current score, coursework, documentation, and other requirements. The SAT is also accepted for renewal, though Louisiana's college-bound culture is heavily ACT-oriented and most TOPS documentation references ACT benchmarks.

High school students planning to pursue TOPS must register for the ACT using home study school code 969999. This code flags the student's scores to the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) as a home study applicant. Failing to use this code does not invalidate the score, but it creates additional documentation steps when applying for the scholarship.

For families who want testing flexibility: The California Achievement Test can be administered at home by parents under the official CAT protocol (the Seton Testing Services version, for example), which makes it logistically simpler than tests requiring in-person administration at a testing center. Check the LDOE's current acceptance status for home-administered CAT versions before relying on it — accepted formats can change between renewal cycles.

Testing as a Strategic Tool for TOPS Eligibility

For families with high school students, the interaction between BESE renewal testing and TOPS scholarship eligibility is the most important factor in test selection.

BESE Home Study preserves eligibility to apply for TOPS under alternate criteria. ACT composite scores are important, but eligibility also depends on required coursework, documentation, and other program requirements:

These thresholds were updated under ACT 359 in 2025. Guides and forum posts from 2022 or 2023 reflect outdated score requirements — do not use them for planning purposes.

Because home study students do not generate a traditional GPA or state-audited course transcript, ACT results are an important part of TOPS planning, but they do not replace the required coursework, documentation, and other eligibility requirements.

Families planning for TOPS should note that LDOE now requires documentation of 9th and 10th-grade home study enrollment before processing 11th and 12th-grade TOPS eligibility. Maintaining complete BESE approval records for every high school year — and submitting the required Home Study documentation to LOSFA by January 15th following the one-year anniversary of high school graduation — is essential.

What Happens If a Student Doesn't Test Well

Testing anxiety, learning differences, and curriculum styles that emphasize depth over breadth of tested subjects can produce scores that do not reflect a student's actual learning. Louisiana's three-pathway renewal system exists precisely to accommodate families in this situation.

A student who struggles with standardized testing can satisfy renewal through the curriculum packet route instead. The curriculum packet is evaluated on the quality and coverage of the work samples submitted — not on test performance. Families switching from the testing route to the curriculum-packet route in any given year do so by simply submitting a curriculum packet with their renewal application instead of score reports. There is no penalty for the switch.

The teacher statement option is a third route for families with access to a Louisiana-certified teacher. The teacher reviews the program and attests to its quality — no test required, no curriculum packet required.

If you are in the early stages of setting up your Louisiana home study program and want a clear map of how testing, renewals, and TOPS documentation connect — including the exact filing deadlines and LOSFA submission requirements — the Louisiana Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers all of it in a single, step-by-step reference.

The Nonpublic School Pathway and Testing

Families registered as a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval are not subject to testing requirements and have no annual renewal-evidence submission. The annual registration for this pathway requires basic information about the school (name, address, parish, school leader, and total student count) and must be filed by the 30th day after the school session begins.

However, the absence of testing requirements comes with a significant trade-off: Nonpublic pathway students do not receive TOPS access while using that pathway; time spent there cannot be counted retroactively, and a later switch remains subject to current LOSFA and BESE requirements. They are also ineligible for Act 715 sports participation rights at public schools, which were granted specifically to BESE-Approved Home Study students in 2024.

For families who choose the Nonpublic pathway for its simplicity and privacy and later want to transition to BESE-Approved status, the transition is possible — but time in Nonpublic status cannot be retroactively counted toward TOPS eligibility. A later switch remains subject to current LOSFA and BESE requirements; do not assume that switching at a particular grade automatically preserves eligibility.

Preparing for Annual Testing: A Realistic Timeline

For families using the testing route year after year, building a simple annual testing calendar prevents last-minute scrambles:

• January–February: Register for the testing window appropriate for your child's grade and the exam you are using
• March–May: Administer the test (specific windows vary by provider)
• June–July: Receive score reports; review against grade-level benchmarks
• August–September: Submit score reports with renewal application
• October 1 following the school year (or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is later): Renewal deadline

ACT test dates for the academic year are announced by ACT the preceding fall. High school students should register for a spring ACT date (April or June sitting) so scores are available well before the October renewal deadline.

For families using the ITBS or Stanford Achievement Test, contact your testing provider or co-op coordinator in January to confirm available testing dates and registration deadlines. Test centers book up in spring, and late registration can force families to use the curriculum packet route for that year's renewal instead.

Summary: Louisiana Homeschool Testing at a Glance

• Standardized testing is optional for BESE families — one of three renewal pathways
• Accepted tests: ACT, SAT, Stanford Achievement Test, ITBS, CAT, LEAP
• Score standard: at or above grade level, or one year's demonstrated growth
• TOPS scholarship eligibility for home study students depends on ACT scores together with required coursework, documentation, and other program requirements (thresholds updated by ACT 359 in 2025)
• High school students pursuing TOPS must use ACT code 969999 at registration
• Nonpublic pathway families have no testing requirements but no TOPS access while using that pathway; time there cannot be counted retroactively, and a later switch remains subject to current requirements
• Switching between renewal methods (testing, curriculum packet, teacher statement) is allowed year to year

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