Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 28 - EDUCATION › Part CXXXIX - Bulletin 126-Charter Schools › Chapter 1 - General Provisions › Section CXXXIX-103 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. The words
				defined in this Section shall have the meanings set forth below whenever they
				appear in this policy, unless:
1. the context
				in which they are used clearly requires a different meaning; or
2. a different definition is prescribed for a
				particular provision.
Appropriate Technical Infrastructure
- any
				  servers, programs, internet access, and/or management systems that allow user
				  interaction, provide sufficient bandwidth to host courses or online services,
				  and sustain peak periods of usage without a reduction in performance.
BESE
and/or
Board
- the
				  state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as created by the Louisiana
				  Constitution and the
Louisiana Revised Statutes.
Charter
-the agreement and authorization to
				  operate a charter school, which includes the charter contracts and
				  exhibits.
Charter Management Organization (CMO)-
nonprofit entities that manage two or more charter schools.
Charter Operator
-the nonprofit corporation
				  or school board authorized to operate a charter school.
Charter School
- an independent public
				  school that provides a program of elementary and/or secondary education
				  established pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of the Louisiana
				  charter school law to provide a learning environment that will improve pupil
				  achievement.
Charter School Application
- the proposal
				  submitted to BESE, which includes but is not limited to, responses to questions
				  concerning:
i. a charter schools
				education program;
ii. governance,
				leadership, and management;
iii.
				financial plan; and
iv. facilities.
Charter School Law
- Louisiana laws,
				  R.S.
				  17:3971 et seq., governing the operation of a
				  charter school.
Chartering Authority
- a local school board
				  or the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Core Subject
- shall include those subjects
				  defined as core subjects in Bulletin 741.
Department of Education
or
LDE
or
Department
- the Louisiana Department
				  of Education. The Department of Education includes the recovery school
				  district, or RSD, where references are made to type 5 charter schools.
Domicile-
the place where the student
				  predominantly sleeps, takes meals, and maintains personal belongings.
Education Service Provider (ESP)
-any
				  third-party entity, whether non-profit or for-profit, that provides
				  comprehensive education management services to a school via contract with the
				  school governing board.
Face Covering
-a piece of material used to
				  cover both the nose and mouth for the purpose of forming a barrier to droplets
				  or airborne particles that are coughed, sneezed, or exhaled when talking. Face
				  coverings are meant to protect both the wearer of the face covering and
				  surrounding individuals.
Hearing Officer
- the individual assigned by
				  BESE to perform adjudicatory functions at charter school revocation
				  hearings.
High-Touch Surface
-surfaces that are touched
				  frequently, including but not limited to door handles, bathroom fixtures,
				  drinking fountains, railings, desks, and other surfaces in school facilities or
				  on school buses.
Instructional and Communication Hardware
-
				  any equipment used to ensure students can access and engage with the
				  educational program (e.g., headphones, wireless air cards, learning management
				  systems, web-based communication tools).
Instructional Coach
- a parent or guardian,
				  extended adult family member, or other adult designated by the parent or
				  guardian who works in person with each virtual charter school student under the
				  guidance of the Louisiana-licensed professional teacher.
LDH
-the Louisiana Department of
				  Health.
Legal Custody
- the legal status created by
				  a court order which establishes in a custodian the right to have physical
				  custody of the child. Custody for educational purposes only or provisional
				  custody by mandate will not be accepted.
Local School Board
- any city, parish, or
				  other local education agency.
Management Organization
- a for-profit
				  company that manages academic, fiscal, and operational services on behalf of
				  boards of directors of BESE-authorized charter schools through contractual
				  agreements.
Public Service Organization
- any
				  community-based group of 50 or more persons incorporated under the laws of this
				  state that meets all of the following requirements:
i. has a charitable, eleemosynary, or
				philanthropic purpose; and is qualified as a tax-exempt organization under
				section
				501(c) of
				the United States
Internal Revenue Code
and is organized for a
				public purpose.
State Superintendent
- the superintendent of
				  education, who is the chief administrative officer of the Louisiana Department
				  of Education, and who shall administer, coordinate, and supervise the
				  activities of the department in accordance with law, regulation, and
				  policy.
Static Group
-a group whose composition of
				  students and adults does not change.
Technical Access
- computer and internet
				  availability sufficient to ensure access for all students.
Virtual School
- an educational program
				  operated for a minimum of one academic year and covering specified educational
				  learning objectives for the purpose of obtaining a Louisiana-certified diploma,
				  the delivery of such a program being through an electronic medium such that the
				  students are not required to be at a specific location in order receive
				  instruction from a teacher, but instead access instruction remotely through
				  computers and other technology, which may separate the student and teacher by
				  time and space. This does not preclude the ability of said program to host
				  face-to-face meetings, including field trips, extracurricular activities,
				  conferences between the student, parents, and teachers, or any such related
				  events.