Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 28 - EDUCATION › Part XLV - Bulletin 996-Standards for Approval of Teacher and/or Educational Leader Preparation Programs › Chapter 4 - Teacher and Leader Preparation Program Accountability, Renewal and Approval › Section XLV-415 - Data Verification, Appeals, and Waivers

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. A data verification process and procedures
				for appeals and waivers shall be used to correct inaccurate quality rating data
				and address unforeseen and aberrant factors affecting teacher preparation
				providers.
1. The LDE shall establish a data
				verification process for preparation providers to correct inaccurate quality
				rating data. The LDE shall provide a period (or periods) of not less than 15
				calendar days for final review, correction, and verification of accountability
				data. All data correction must occur during the designated data verification
				period. Each preparation provider must collect documentation for every data
				element that is submitted for correction and maintain documentation on file for
				at least four years. The LDE shall review all data corrections during the
				verification period and grant approval of those proven valid. The LDE may
				request documentation to support the validity of the corrections.
2. An appeal is a request for the calculation
				or recalculation of the quality rating or any component score. The appeal
				procedure is created to address issues when the literal application of program
				accountability or program renewal policy does not consider certain unforeseen
				and unusual circumstances. Appeals shall not be available for failure to
				correct data during the data verification process.
3. A waiver is a temporary withholding of
				accountability decisions or required components of the quality rating system
				for no more than one accountability year. The waiver procedure is created to
				address issues when the literal application of program accountability or
				program renewal policy does not consider certain unforeseen circumstances.
				Waivers shall be denied to aggrieved parties attempting to subvert the intent
				of provisions outlined in federal or state law or policy.
4. The procedure for appeals and waivers is
				as follows.
a. A preparation provider may
				request an appeal/waiver by submitting a written request to the state
				superintendent of education within 15 calendar days of the LDE's release of the
				preparation provider's performance profile.
b. All appeal/waiver requests must clearly
				state the specific reasons for requesting the appeal/waiver and the reasons why
				the appeal/waiver should be granted and must include any necessary supporting
				documentation.
c. Supporting
				documentation for appeal/waiver requests should clearly outline the unforeseen
				and unusual factors that generate the request. The preparation provider shall
				be responsible for supplying the LDE with information necessary for
				recalculating accountability components per applicable policy.
d. Data corrections shall not be the grounds
				for an appeal/waiver, as all data corrections shall be made prior to release of
				performance profiles regardless of the source of any errors.
e. The LDE shall review all timely submitted
				appeal/waiver requests and, if the request meets guidelines described in this
				section, make recommendations to BESE following the close of the appeal/waiver
				period. Within this interval, the LDE shall notify preparation providers of its
				recommendations and allow the provider to respond in writing. The preparation
				provider shall be notified of the recommendation and allowed to respond in
				writing. The LDE's recommendations and preparation provider's responses will be
				forwarded to BESE for final disposition, if applicable.