The 2026 Louisiana legislative session put a clear emphasis on helping students build the skills, knowledge and confidence they need for life after high school. Lawmakers passed education policies focused on adolescent literacy, earlier career exploration, dual enrollment access, paid work-based learning and better information about which postsecondary programs lead to strong workforce outcomes.
Together, these laws reflect a practical strategy: strengthen academic foundations, connect learning to careers earlier and give families, educators and policymakers better data to make informed decisions.
Below is a look at K-12 education legislation Gov. Jeff Landry has signed into law, the impact on students and the policies we anticipate will gain traction in 2027.
Data from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show Louisiana was one of the few states in the country to see improvements in both fourth and eighth grade reading. While fourth grade scores improved from 28% of students at or above NAEP Proficient in 2022 to 31% in 2024, eighth grade scores improved by one percentage point and show that only 28% of eighth grade students were at or above NAEP Proficient in 2024.
With all of ExcelinEd’s 18 fundamental principles of comprehensive early literacy in place and early indicators of student improvement in the early grades, Louisiana lawmakers turned their attention to adolescent readers in 2026.
Strong reading skills remain essential long after third grade. Rep. John Wyble’s HB 316, creates a comprehensive adolescent literacy program for students in grades 4-8, expanding support for students who need help strengthening reading, writing and comprehension across subjects.
The law requires schools to identify students who score below mastery in English language arts, create individualized reading plans and provide targeted interventions such as high-dosage tutoring. In addition, educator preparation programs are now required to include adolescent literacy training to ensure students with reading struggles are less likely to go unnoticed once they leave the early grades.
For teachers, the law creates a clearer framework for improved training, identifying needs and matching students with support. For schools, it reinforces a simple but important expectation: literacy is not just a priority in early grades. It is central to success in science, history, career exploration and every pathway that follows.
Further supporting the adolescent literacy work is Rep. Wyble’s HB 271, which will strengthen foundational skills for students across the state. The law creates the Louisiana Commission on Foundational Education to focus on literacy, numeracy and foundational skills for students in grades K-8. Our sister organization, ExcelinEd, will serve as a member of the commission.
Louisiana’s 2026 legislative session saw lawmakers and Gov. Landry focus on college and career readiness with a package of policies expanding access to career exploration, dual enrollment and workforce-focused pathways. 2026 legislative efforts laid the groundwork for expansion of workforce development in future legislative sessions.
New laws better connect students and workers to high-demand industries and real-world experiences earlier in their education journey and will help students transition more smoothly from the classroom into careers with meaningful preparation.
Rep. Dennis Bamburg’s HB 951 modernizes Louisiana’s workforce development system and improves coordination across workforce-related agencies and programs (including K-12 and postsecondary education systems). The law creates the Office of Business Workforce Solutions within Louisiana Works to help align policies and investments with labor market demand and strengthen employer-driven workforce strategies. For students, these changes can mean more programs connected to real jobs. For schools and colleges, they can mean stronger partnerships and clearer signals about where to expand capacity.
Championed by Rep. Kim Carver, HB 268 strengthens career exploration and advising by requiring structured career awareness activities beginning in elementary school and expanding workforce-connected exploration in high-demand fields in middle school. Students will also see career planning integrated into Individual Graduation Plans to better prepare them for life after high school.
Sen. Rick Edmonds’ SCR 65 adds to that work by creating a K-12 Student Success Pathways Task Force to study and recommend a statewide approach to academic and career advising. For educators and counselors, a stronger advising structure will make career planning more consistent across schools and communities.
Earlier career awareness will help Louisiana students choose courses and pathways with purpose, understand the value of credentials and see more possible futures for themselves.
Louisiana lawmakers also passed policies during the 2026 legislative session designed to make college and career acceleration more accessible for all students. Rep. Ken Brass’ HB 649 requires the Louisiana Board of Regents to create a single statewide application process for dual enrollment programs, helping more students earn college credit before graduation while also reducing administrative barriers for families, schools and colleges.
Sen. Beth Mizell’s Learn and Earn Act, SB 376, expands work-based learning by creating a career practicum option. The law allows students to participate in paid, credit-bearing experiences with employer supervision and mentorship, including instruction-focused business locations on school campuses. This model will make work-based learning more accessible for students who face transportation, scheduling or geographic barriers while giving schools and employers a clear path for partnership to teach real-world skills.
In 2025, Louisiana lawmakers laid the groundwork for improving alignment between its K-12 system and the workforce through a limited return on investment (ROI) policy. The annual analysis of industry-based credentials evaluates how well they align with state workforce demands and whether they yield economic returns for students and taxpayers. This policy can help ensure that Louisiana students, families, educators and employers understand which credentials lead to real-life opportunities and financial independence.
The 2026 legislative session saw Rep. Annie Spell’s HB 632 build on last year’s ROI work. The new law improves secure sharing of student information to support Louisiana’s Foundational Integrated Research System for Transformation (LA FIRST) longitudinal data system and will help the state better connect K-12 experiences with postsecondary and workforce outcomes.
In addition, Sen. Edmonds’ SB 305 expands transparency by requiring a statewide dashboard with information on labor market alignment, employment and wage outcomes for graduates of postsecondary programs.
Together, this improved transparency and information sharing will help families ask better questions about which programs lead to good jobs, which credentials are valued by employers and which pathways help students succeed after high school. Transparent access to data will also help state leaders see which education programs are delivering strong results and where students could benefit from access to better options.
Louisiana’s 2026 workforce legislation also addressed a practical challenge: ensuring there are enough instructors to teach students enrolled in high-demand programs. Rep. Brass’ HB 807 creates the Workforce Instructor Capacity Investment Fund, making two-year public colleges eligible for grants to increase instructor availability in high-demand industries through recruitment, compensation and employer partnerships.
Louisiana’s 2026 education-to-workforce laws share a common goal: help students move from school to opportunity with stronger skills, clearer guidance and more useful information. As a result, students exploring careers can begin learning about options before high school, students ready for college-level work will face fewer barriers to dual enrollment and students pursuing workforce pathways can access paid, credit-bearing experiences and programs better aligned to high-demand jobs.
Louisiana lawmakers also began examining how education funding can better support long-term student success and workforce needs.
Sen. Mike Reese’s SR 172 creates a task force to study higher education funding formulas, including how outcomes-based funding could apply to two- and four-year institutions. Sen. Reese’s SCR 80 creates a separate task force to study Louisiana’s K-12 school funding formula, the Minimum Foundation Program, and recommend ways to stabilize compensation funding for teachers and support staff while reviewing the formula’s structure and long-term sustainability.
Louisiana’s 2026 policy actions stand to give more students a stronger foundation and a clearer path to what comes next. As implementation moves ahead in Louisiana, we can expect clear guidance, strong partnerships and practical support for teachers, counselors, employers and postsecondary institutions.
Looking ahead to the 2027 legislative session in Louisiana, we anticipate lawmakers to continue investigating student-centered funding, guaranteed access to advanced math, open enrollment and college and career pathways.
