BATON ROUGE — Louisiana education officials said Thursday that the state has been named the national standard for how schools and school systems are graded.

According to education nonprofit ExcelinEd's 2026 Education Policy Playbook, Louisiana is the state exemplar for school and system accountability, citing the state for its "transparent and rigorous approach that drives student outcomes and helps schools continuously improve."

"Louisiana has set a national standard with its Grow. Achieve. Thrive. accountability framework," the playbook states. "The state now uses a simple, transparent and rigorous formula that holds schools accountable for three clear goals: helping all students reach grade-level proficiency or higher, ensuring individual growth for every student toward proficient or advanced achievement and prioritizing growth for the most struggling learners."

WBRZ previously reported that Louisiana's Grow. Achieve. Thrive. system is designed to provide clearer information to families and more accurately reflect student readiness for college, careers and military service. 

The state education department says that schools and systems will be measured using the following metrics: 

Grow: Students should make meaningful academic progress every year.
Achieve: Students should reach proficiency in key subjects.
Thrive: Students should graduate on time and be prepared for college, career, or service.

According to the Louisiana Department of Education, it would be implemented for results starting this year, with the first performance scores from the new system expected to be released in late 2026.