LA Rev Stat § 17:24.4 (2021)
2021 Louisiana Laws|Revised Statutes|Title 17 - Education|§24.4. Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program; statewide standards for required subjects; Louisiana Educational Assessment Program; parish or city school board comprehensive pupil progression plans; waivers

RS 24.4 - Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program; statewide standards for required subjects; Louisiana Educational Assessment Program; parish or city school board comprehensive pupil progression plans; waivers  A. As used in this Section, the following words, terms, and phrases shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this Subsection, except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning:  (1) "The Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program" means the coordination of all existing statutory provisions and State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education policies and guidelines to be implemented by the state Department of Education which affect pupil performance with the development and establishment of statewide content standards for required subjects for the public elementary and secondary schools of this state, the complete implementation of the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, the involvement of all federal instructional programs, vocational programs, special education programs, and teacher education programs in this state, and the pupil progression plans for the public elementary and secondary school systems of this state.  (2) "The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program" means a process of measuring pupil performance in relation to grade appropriate skills, state content standards, and national educational indices.  (3) "Pupil progression plan" means the comprehensive plan developed and adopted by each parish or city school board which shall be based on student performance on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program with goals and objectives which are compatible with the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program and which supplements the minimum standards approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. A pupil progression plan shall require the student's mastery of grade-appropriate skills before he or she can be recommended for promotion.  (4) "The statewide content standards for required subjects" are statements that define what a student should know or be able to accomplish at the end of a specific time period or grade level or at the completion of a course. Content standards shall represent the knowledge and skills needed for students to successfully transition to postsecondary education and the workplace, as determined by content experts, elementary and secondary educators and school leaders, postsecondary education leaders, and business and industry leaders.  B. The Department of Education, with the approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana Legislature, shall begin the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program, and the recommended effective date shall be January 1, 1980, and said program shall have as its purpose the coordination of all statutory provisions and State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education policies and guidelines to be implemented by the Department of Education which affect student performance.  C. The Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program shall specifically coordinate the following programs in order to emphasize instructional planning and development of the instructional programs and services provided for the students in the public school systems of this state:  (1), (2) Repealed by Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 1, §3, eff. June 22, 1994.  (3) In-service training programs for all teachers in the public schools as provided by R.S. 17:24.1.  (4) The continuing education program for teachers as provided by R.S. 17:7.3.  (5) The teacher education programs in the colleges and universities in this state through the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's authority to approve teacher education programs and certification requirements.  D. The Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program shall also provide for the coordination and involvement of all federal instructional programs such as Chapter I programs, vocational programs, and special education programs; however, the provisions of this Section shall not be construed to supersede the provisions of Act 754 of the 1977 Regular Session with respect to the creation, operation, and administration of special education programs in the state.  E.(1) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop state content standards for required subjects to be taught in the public elementary and secondary schools of this state. State content standards for English language arts and mathematics shall be reviewed and developed as provided in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection.  (2) The state content standards for required subjects shall be implemented by the state Department of Education as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, with recommendations prior to approval and advice from the educational personnel in the public schools and colleges and universities of this state.  (3) State content standards for English language arts and mathematics shall be reviewed and developed as follows:  (a) Not later than July 1, 2015, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall begin reviewing and developing state content standards in English language arts and mathematics.  (b) The board shall hold at least one meeting for such purpose in each Louisiana congressional district.  (c) The board shall submit the minutes from each meeting held pursuant to this Paragraph to each member of the legislature not later than thirty days after the meeting.  (d) All meetings held by the board for the review and development of the standards shall be subject to the Open Meetings Law.  (e) The board shall post the standards on its website not later than February 21, 2016, and shall adopt the standards not later than March 4, 2016.  (f) The board shall promulgate the standards in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act prior to implementation of the standards.  (4) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate each shall appoint one member from his respective house to serve as a liaison to attend the meetings held pursuant to Paragraph (3) of this Subsection. Each liaison shall report to the speaker or the president, as applicable, on the status of the review and development of the standards as provided in this Subsection.  (5) If, pursuant to R.S. 49:970, the governor suspends or vetoes the rules promulgated by the board for the standards as required in Subparagraph (3)(f) of this Subsection, the board shall undertake a review of the standards and make any necessary revisions and shall commence without delay the process for the promulgation of rules for the revised standards. The legislative liaisons appointed pursuant to Paragraph (4) of this Subsection shall report to the speaker or the president, as applicable, the specific time lines and actions taken by the board in commencing the process for the promulgation of rules for the revised standards.  (6) The governing authority of each public elementary and secondary school may develop and implement curriculum, content, and methodology for required subjects for the schools under its jurisdiction in lieu of the curriculum, content, and methodology recommended by the state Department of Education or the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.  F.(1)(a) The Department of Education shall implement the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program with the approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.  (b) Developmental readiness student screening for placement and for planning instruction shall occur upon initial school entry into kindergarten.  (c) Standards-based assessments in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies based on state content standards and rigorous student achievement standards set with reference to test scores of students of the same grade level nationally shall be implemented by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Such tests shall be administered, at a minimum, in grades three through eleven.  (d) Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, standards-based assessments implemented by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in English language arts and mathematics shall be based on nationally recognized content standards that represent the knowledge and skills needed for students to successfully transition to postsecondary education and the workplace. Rigorous student achievement standards shall be set with reference to test scores of the same grade levels nationally.  (e) The rigor of each standards-based assessment, at a minimum, shall be comparable to national achievement tests, including but not limited to the National Assessment of Education Progress.  (f) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, upon initial implementation of the tests provided for in this Subsection, shall establish by rule adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act the adequate test score to determine successful performance of the student on each test provided for by this Subsection.  (g), (h) Repealed by Acts 2020, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 47, §2.  (i) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, for the 2020-2021 school year, the board shall examine the results of student value-added model assessments and school-level test data and make such allowances in calculating school and district performance scores as the board deems necessary and appropriate. The state superintendent of education shall present a report relative to such results to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education, meeting separately or jointly, not later than May 30, 2021. The board shall prepare a petition for the United States Department of Education for a waiver of the requirement of issuing letter grades for schools and school districts for the 2020-2021 school year and submit the petition if it is the opinion of the state superintendent of education that issuance of letter grades would be detrimental to the state of Louisiana. The superintendent and the board shall present a report to each committee, meeting separately or jointly, regarding this decision not later than June 15, 2021.  (j) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, for the 2020-2021 school year, the board shall examine the results from student assessments and school-level test data but shall not use such assessments and data for purposes of evaluating teacher performance or making placement decisions for fourth and eighth grade students.  (2) Repealed by Acts 2020, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 47, §2.  (3)(a) In lieu of the standards-based assessments prescribed in Subparagraphs (1)(c) and (d) of this Subsection, an alternate assessment shall be provided for and administered only to those students with disabilities who meet specific eligibility criteria developed by the state Department of Education and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. A determination of whether any student meets the eligibility criteria established by the state Department of Education shall be made by the student's Individualized Education Program committee and shall be so noted on that student's Individualized Education Program. The alternate assessment developed pursuant to this Paragraph shall be administered on a schedule determined by the state Department of Education and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The alternate assessment shall be part of the Louisiana Education Assessment Program otherwise provided for in this Subsection, and the alternate assessment shall be used for information, accountability, compliance, and planning purposes as provided by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.  (b)(i) In addition to the alternate assessment accommodations adopted to meet the needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities, no later than September 1, 2005, the state Department of Education, with approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, shall develop modified achievement standards and use alternative assessments to accommodate those students who are assessed with persistent academic disabilities but who are likely to make significant progress.  (ii) Students with persistent academic disabilities shall be allowed to take academic assessments that are sensitive to measuring progress in their learning and that recognize their individual needs. Academic assessments shall be geared specifically toward accommodating students to enable them to perform on standards-based assessments prescribed in Subparagraphs (1)(c) and (d) of this Subsection. Such accommodations shall include at a minimum verbalized test questions and shall provide for writing assistance of a scribe and any other accommodations deemed appropriate by the student's Individualized Education Program committee. However, any such accommodations shall not breach test security or invalidate the meaning of the test score or the purpose of the test.  (iii) At each Individualized Education Program meeting a written list of accommodations shall be discussed and provided to the parent of each student with a disability.  (4)(a) In addition to the other requirements of this Subsection, the state Department of Education shall establish, subject to the approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the level of achievement on certain of the tests or on certain portions of the tests given as required in this Subsection in fourth and eighth grades as definitive of the level of the student's proficiency in mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies. Fourth and eighth grade students shall be required to demonstrate proficiency on such tests in order to advance to grades five and nine, pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. Such proficiency levels shall be set with reference to test scores of students of the same grade level nationally. The department shall establish, subject to the approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the nature and application of various intervention options in the case of a failure to demonstrate proficiency, which may include remediation, retention in grade, an alternative placement in succeeding grades, or any other option which will support a student's achieving the required proficiency level.  (b) In meeting the requirements of this Paragraph, the department, subject to the approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, shall:  (i) Establish a process for consistently seeking and considering input from teachers, administrators, city and parish school board members, legislators, parents, business leaders, and other persons in the community in developing and establishing the proficiency levels and the intervention options provided for in this Paragraph.  (ii) Develop a time line for: establishing the levels of achievement which shall be indicative and definitive of student proficiency, establishing the intervention options which proceed from failure of a student to achieve the level necessary to demonstrate proficiency, and piloting such levels and interventions no later than the 1998-1999 school year.  (iii) Implement the provisions of this Paragraph fully by the 1999-2000 school year.  (5)(a) A person who is no longer enrolled in a public school but was identified as a student with an exceptionality as defined in R.S. 17:1942(B), except a gifted or talented student, and who previously failed to receive a high school diploma or was denied graduation solely for failing to meet the exit examination requirements pursuant to State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education rules, regulations, or policy may petition the city, parish, or other local public school board to determine if he is eligible to receive a high school diploma pursuant to this Paragraph. A petition shall be submitted to the local school board by December 31, 2017.  (b) The local school board shall transmit diploma requests to the state Department of Education in accordance with department procedures and guidelines. A person receiving a diploma pursuant to this Paragraph shall not be counted as a graduate in any graduation rate calculations for affected schools and districts, including calculations for any prior year.  (c) Not later than January 31, 2018, the state Department of Education shall report in writing to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the House Committee on Education, and the Senate Committee on Education the number of diplomas granted, by school district, pursuant to this Paragraph.  (d) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act for the implementation of this Paragraph. The state Department of Education shall disseminate a copy of the requirements of this Paragraph and procedures and guidelines for submitting petitions to each city, parish, and other local public school system not later than ninety days after the effective date of this Paragraph. Such procedures and guidelines shall include but shall not be limited to the following:  (i) The eligibility criteria for submitting a petition.  (ii) The petition process, including but not limited to the deadline for submitting a petition and all other applicable deadlines.  (iii) A contact name and phone number at the state Department of Education available to persons submitting petitions.  (6) The amount of time public school students spend taking standards-based assessments per school year shall not exceed two percent of the minimum number of instructional minutes per year as required in R.S. 17:154.1(A)(1). This time limitation shall not affect in any way the accommodations provided to a student with an exceptionality as defined in R.S. 17:1942 or a student who has been determined to be eligible for services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and has an Individual Accommodation Plan and any extra time provided to such students shall not be factored into the two percent limitation. Nor shall this time limitation apply to college entrance and college credit exams, Advanced Placement exams, International Baccalaureate exams, and industry-based credential exams.  (7)(a) Each public school governing authority shall review all benchmarks and interim assessments on a regular basis to ensure that all of the following are met:  (i) The benchmarks and assessments are aligned with the appropriate state content standards.  (ii) The results of the assessments have an identified use related to improving instruction.  (iii) The results of the assessments are made available to a parent upon request of the parent.  (iv) The time associated with the administration of the assessments is minimized in order to maximize instructional time throughout the school year.  (b) For purposes of this Paragraph, "interim assessments" shall mean assessments required by a public school governing authority to measure student learning throughout the school year.  G.(1) Each city and parish school board shall appoint a committee which shall be representative of the parents of the school district under the authority of such school board. Each committee shall participate and have input in the development of the pupil progression plans provided for in this Section. Each parish or city school board shall develop and make publicly available a pupil progression plan which shall be in accordance with the requirements of this Section and be based upon student achievement, performance, and proficiency on tests required by this Section.  (2) Each parish or city school board plan for pupil progression shall be based upon local goals and objectives which are compatible with the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program numerated in R.S. 17:24.4(B), which comply with the provisions of R.S. 17:24.4(A)(3), and which supplement the performance standards approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.  (3)(a) Each local school board shall establish a policy regarding student promotion or placement which shall comply with the provisions of this Section, including the requirements for pupil progression plans.  (b) Particular emphasis shall be placed upon the student's proficiency in grade appropriate skills which may be considered in promotion and placement; however, each local school board shall establish a policy regarding student promotion or placement.  (4) The governing body of each school with students required by law or a rule of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to participate in the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program shall develop a policy with the participation and input of the committee provided for in this Subsection which shall, at a minimum, conform to any rule adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education regarding pupil promotion. Following this policy, each teacher shall, on an individualized basis, determine promotion or placement of each student. Each such governing body may review promotion and placement decisions in order to ensure compliance with its established policy. Review may be initiated by the governing body, the superintendent, or a student's parent or guardian. Those students who fail to meet required achievement levels on the state administered standards-based assessments of the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program shall be offered education programs designed to accelerate progress that comply with regulations adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Such programs shall include, at a minimum, a remediation program for all students who do not meet the minimum achievement level necessary to be promoted without required academic interventions to the fifth or ninth grade as established by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education rule.  H.(1) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall establish by rule adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act a procedure whereby a student's Individualized Education Program team shall determine promotion to the next grade level for any student with an exceptionality, as defined in R.S. 17:1942(B), except a student identified as gifted and talented and who has no other exceptionality, who fails to meet the required achievement level necessary for promotion to the next grade on a test administered to students pursuant to this Section or policies adopted by the state board provided that the student meets certain criteria established by the Individualized Education Program team relative to performance on the student's Individualized Education Program goals and objectives. If an Individualized Education Program team determines that the student is not required to meet state or local established performance standards on any assessment for purposes of promotion, the team shall:  (a) Identify rigorous educational goals for the student.  (b) Include diagnostic information, appropriate monitoring and intervention, and other evaluation strategies.  (c) Include an intensive instructional program.  (d) Provide innovative methods to promote the student's advancement including flexible scheduling, alternate learning environments, online instruction, and other interventions that are proven to accelerate the learning process and have been scientifically validated to improve learning and cognitive ability.  (e) Identify a course of study that promotes college or workforce readiness, or both, career placement and advancement, and transition from high school to postsecondary education or work placement.  (2)(a) An alternative pathway to promotion determination by a student's Individualized Education Program team shall apply only if, in the school year immediately prior to each grade level in which the student would otherwise be required to demonstrate certain proficiency levels in order to advance to the next grade level, the student has not otherwise met the state and local requirements for promotion or has not otherwise met state-established benchmarks on the required state assessments.  (b) The state Department of Education, to the extent possible, shall track the performance of students with exceptionalities across school systems and, in collaboration with the Special Education Advisory Panel, establish indicators to identify school systems with disproportionately high rates of students with exceptionalities performing below expected levels and declines in performance across subgroups of students with exceptionalities. The department, to the extent possible, shall develop and implement a monitoring and corrective action system to address school systems identified as having high rates of students with exceptionalities performing below expected levels.  I. The state superintendent of education shall appoint a twelve-member task force to study and identify the causes of low performance by students, including students who are members of any ethnic minority, on statewide proficiency examinations. The task force shall propose to the superintendent a plan to eliminate the causes of low performance and assist students in improving their overall educational skills.  J.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section or any other law to the contrary, a public high school student with an exceptionality as defined in R.S. 17:1942(B), except a gifted or talented student, who is not pursuing a high school diploma shall not be administered any examination pursuant to this Section or the Louisiana school and district accountability system, including the American College Test, unless one or both of the following apply:  (a) The student's Individualized Education Program indicates that the examination is an appropriate assessment instrument for the student.  (b) The student's parent or legal guardian requests in writing that the student be administered the examination.  (2) A student who is not administered an examination pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not be penalized for failure to take the examination. For purposes of this Paragraph, prohibited penalties include but are not limited to:  (a) Withholding of credits toward graduation or denying a student the ability to graduate.  (b) Denying a student the opportunity to participate in an extracurricular activity.  (c) Denying a student the ability to advance to the subsequent grade level.  (3) The absence of test results due to the implementation of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not be factored into or negatively impact the performance score or letter grade assigned to a school or school system, nor shall a school or school system otherwise be penalized in any manner, provided that such absence does not violate any federal law or requirement including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  K.(1) The content standards and assessments adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and implemented by the state Department of Education pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall reflect direct application to subject matter proficiency of students and shall not include content or questions to measure noncognitive, emotional, physical, or psychological characteristics, attributes, or skills of students.  (2) The provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply to the following:  (a) Instruction and assessments conducted in physical education classes.  (b) Optional questions on college entrance exams, Advanced Placement exams, International Baccalaureate exams, and any state assessments administered to students in grades seven through twelve.  (3) Except as otherwise provided in Subparagraph (2)(b) of this Subsection, the provisions of this Subsection shall apply only to students in grades three through twelve.  L.(1) The state Department of Education shall provide the assessment results for each student who is administered the standards-based assessments in English language arts and mathematics to each public school governing authority by not later than June thirtieth each year, except for any year in which a new assessment or significant adjustments to an existing assessment are required in order to align content standards or due to actions taken by the state board, the state division of administration, or the legislature.  (2) The state Department of Education shall provide the results in a format that is easy to read, clear, and understandable and the results shall contain but shall not be limited to the following:  (a) The scale score achieved by the student. "Scale score" means the score achieved by the student on a particular form of a test that would be equivalent to all other forms of the test given for that subject and grade level in that year and in previous years.  (b) The raw score achieved by the student. "Raw score" means the number of total points earned by the student on the test.  (c) Student performance on categories and subcategories within a given subject.  (d) Longitudinal information, if available, on the student's progress in each subject area based on previous statewide standards-based assessment data.  (3) The school governing authority shall disperse the assessment results for each student to the student's teacher of record for the school year that the assessment was given and the student's teacher of record for the upcoming school year.  Added by Acts 1979, No. 750, §1, eff. July 20, 1979. Amended by Acts 1980, No. 499, §1; Acts 1984, No. 886, §1, eff. July 20, 1984; Acts 1986, No. 146, §1, eff. July 2, 1986; Acts 1989, No. 408, §1, eff. June 30, 1989; Acts 1989, No. 567, §1; Acts 1993, No. 868, §1; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 1, §3, eff. June 22, 1994; Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 40, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1335, §1, eff. July 15, 1997; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 41, §1, eff. April 24, 1998; Acts 1999, No. 407, §1; Acts 1999, No. 643, §§1, 2; Acts 2005, No. 303, §1, eff. June 29, 2005; Acts 2008, No. 907, §1, eff. July 11, 2008; Acts 2009, No. 276, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 438, §2; Acts 2010, No. 116, §1; Acts 2012, No. 275, §§1, 2; Acts 2013, No. 151, §1; Acts 2014, No. 532, §1; Acts 2014, No. 833, §1; Acts 2015, No. 329, §1; Acts 2015, No. 342, §1; Acts 2015, No. 384, §1; Acts 2016, No. 303, §1, eff. June 2, 2016; Acts 2016, No. 498, §1, eff. June 14, 2016; Acts 2017, No. 97, §1; Acts 2017, No. 364, §1 Acts 2017, No. 383, §1, eff. June 23, 2017; Acts 2018, No. 517, §1, eff. May 23, 2018; Acts 2019, No. 394, §1; Acts 2020, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 47, §§1, 2; Acts 2020, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 53, §1, eff. Nov. 5, 2020.