Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 28 - EDUCATION › Part XLV - Bulletin 996-Standards for Approval of Teacher and/or Educational Leader Preparation Programs › Chapter 5 - Louisiana Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate Program Accountability, Renewal, and Approval › Section XLV-513 - 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(s) 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 data 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 release of the
				preparation provider 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 grounds for
				an appeal/waiver, as all data corrections shall be made prior to release of
				performance profiles regardless of the source of the errors.
e. The LDE shall review all timely-submitted
				appeal/waiver requests and, if the request meets guidelines established in this
				section, shall make recommendations to BESE following the close of the
				appeal/waiver period. The LDE shall notify the preparation provider of the
				recommendations and allow the provider to respond in writing. The LDE
				recommendations and preparation provider responses will be forwarded to BESE
				for final disposition, as applicable.