Lamar Consolidated ISD students can now earn course credit in 71 languages, up from eight, after the board approved a new testing system.

The board of trustees voted Oct. 20 to add Avant World Languages Assessments to the district's credit-by-examination options, Community Impact Newspaper first reported. The vote followed a presentation at the board's Sept. 15 meeting by Rosemary Anthony, the district's director of multilingual education. The district's September board brief confirmed the Avant platform was discussed as a future action item at that meeting.

The specific vote tally has not been published. Official meeting minutes from the Oct. 20 session have not yet been posted to the district's website.

The change addresses rapid growth in the district's multilingual student population. The number of LCISD students who speak languages other than English grew 149.1% between the 2021-22 and 2025-26 school years, according to district data Anthony presented.

Testing costs will drop as well. The district's previous credit-by-exam options cost $40-$80 per test. Avant assessments will cost $20-$25 per test.

Anthony told Community Impact Newspaper that Avant is "an accurate, computer-adapted testing system aligned with state standards that allows us to award credit for languages other than English."

The system adjusts question difficulty automatically, measuring novice, intermediate and advanced proficiency levels, Anthony told the outlet. She said Avant would boost student eligibility for the Global Seal of Biliteracy, a credential recognizing proficiency in English and at least one other language. Anthony also said the system would raise the district's academic profile and college and career readiness accountability.

LCISD's current language programs include English as a Second Language (ESL), one-way dual language and world languages for pre-K through 12th grade. Schools across the district, including Fulshear High School, stand to benefit from the expanded testing options.

Neighboring districts including Katy ISD, Houston ISD, Fort Bend ISD and Spring ISD already use Avant, Anthony told Community Impact.

LCISD plans to pilot the Avant assessment during the spring semester, with full implementation set for the 2027-28 school year.