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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE BILL NO. 1209 (Substitute for House Bill No. 312 by Representative Richard)
BY REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD
STUDENT/SCH ATTENDANCE: Provides relative to alternative education programs for
suspended or expelled students
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:416(A)(2)(c) and 416.2(A) and (D) and to repeal R.S.2
17:416.2(B) and (F), relative to students suspended or expelled from school; to3
provide relative to placement of students in alternative education programs; to4
provide relative to such programs, including provisions for agreements for provision5
of education services to certain students; to remove the exclusion of certain students6
from the requirement for supervision of expelled and suspended students; to repeal7
provisions relative to waivers from a requirement for alternative education programs8
and provisions prohibiting return of certain students to alternative education9
programs; and to provide for related matters.10
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:11
Section 1. R.S. 17:416(A)(2)(c) and 416.2(A) and (D) are hereby amended and12
reenacted to read as follows: 13
§416. Discipline of pupils; suspension; expulsion14
A.15
* * *16
(2) As used in this Section:17
* * *18
(c) Unless otherwise defined as a permanent expulsion and except as19
otherwise provided by Subsections B and C of this Section, an expulsion "expulsion"20 HLS 12RS-3559 ENGROSSED
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shall be defined as a removal from all regular school settings for a period of not less1
than one school semester. during which time During an expulsion the city, parish, or2
other local public school board superintendent shall place the pupil in an alternative3
school or in an alternative school setting educational placement.4
* * *5
§416.2. Supervision of suspended or expelled students; alternative education6
programs7
A.(1) Any student suspended or expelled from school pursuant to the8
provisions of R.S. 17:416, other than a student expelled pursuant to the provisions9
of R.S. 17:416(B) and (C)(2), shall remain under the supervision of the governing10
authority of the city, parish, or other local public school system taking such action11
using alternative education programs for suspended and expelled students.12
Alternative education programs of any local public school shall be approved by the13
State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; however, no school system14
shall be liable for any student attending an alternative education program at a15
location other than a school site.16
(2) A student expelled pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 17:416(B) and17
(C)(2) may only be readmitted to a city, parish, or other local public school,18
including an alternative education program, in the school system from which he was19
expelled prior to the completion of the specified period of expulsion, in accordance20
with the provisions of R.S. 17:416(C)(2)(d).21
* * *22
D.(1) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt23
the necessary rules and regulations to provide for the implementation of the24
provisions of this Section.25
(2) Such rules and regulations shall include provisions for cases in which a26
school governing authority enters into an agreement with an education service27
provider for the education of students who have been adjudicated delinquent by a28
court having juvenile jurisdiction as defined in Chapter 2, Article 302 of the29 HLS 12RS-3559 ENGROSSED
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Louisiana Children's Code or as a member of a family in need of services by a court,1
or are in the custody of the office of juvenile justice as a result of any such2
adjudication and are assigned by the office of juvenile justice to a community-based3
program or facility, or are students who have been suspended or expelled pursuant4
to the provisions of R.S. 17:416(B) and (C)(2).5
(3) Rules and regulations pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this Subsection shall6
include the following:7
(a) Such services shall be provided to the school governing authority at the8
actual costs incurred by the provider, not to exceed for each student the pro rata share9
of the combined state and local per pupil amount of the minimum foundation10
program for such governing authority.11
(b) In an effort to support the on-time graduation of students who are12
suspended, expelled, or at high risk for drop out or entry into the juvenile justice13
system, academic, behavioral, and mental health interventions must be provided.14
Interventions offered shall include but not be limited to the following:15
(i) Academic interventions and supports:16
(aa) Targeted academic interventions focused on assessed needs in math and17
reading using an evidence-based and research-supported curriculum.18
(bb) Use of validated monthly assessments to monitor individual student19
academic progress.20
(cc) Implementation of research-supported instructional strategies such as21
differentiated instruction, experiential education, project-based learning, and22
computer-assisted instruction to support assessed needs and content mastery.23
(dd) Opportunities to participate in credit recovery to support progression24
towards on-time graduation.25
(ee) On-site access to at least one career or vocational certification option.26
(ii) Behavioral interventions and supports:27
(aa) Positive behavioral supports with a high ratio of positive reinforcement28
over punishment.29 HLS 12RS-3559 ENGROSSED
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(bb) Behavioral shaping steps aligned to assessed behavioral needs and1
goals.2
(cc) Mentoring and frequent behavioral feedback focused on individualized3
shaping steps for students enrolled.4
(dd) Successive approximations and reinforcements to develop more5
complex social behaviors.6
(iii) Mental health interventions and supports:7
(aa) Evidence-based cognitive behavioral interventions to address, anger,8
impulsivity, and aggression.9
(bb) Interventions to address past childhood traumas, including forms of10
abuse and neglect, being a victim of or a witness to violence, and involvement in11
natural disasters.12
(cc) Interventions to address substance use and to prevent substance abuse.13
(dd) Interventions to build life skills and social skills in order to increase14
employability and success in the community.15
(4) Nothing in this Section shall prevent any nonprofit organization that16
provides alternative education services to a school governing authority from applying17
to operate a charter school pursuant to R.S. 17:3983.18
(5) The governing authority of a Type 5 charter school shall receive approval19
from the superintendent of the Recovery School District before entering into an20
agreement with an educational service provider for alternative education services21
pursuant to the provisions of this Section and any such agreement shall not be subject22
to the provisions of Subparagraph (3)(a) of this Subsection.23
(6) Any agreement in effect on the effective date of this Paragraph and any24
prospective agreement between the Recovery School District and an educational25
service provider for alternative education shall not be subject to Subparagraph (3)(a)26
of this Subsection, but shall be approved by the state superintendent of education.27
Section 2. R.S. 17:416.2(B) and (F) are hereby repealed in their entirety.28 HLS 12RS-3559 ENGROSSED
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Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not1
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature2
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If3
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become4
effective on the day following such approval.5
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Richard HB No. 1209
Abstract: Provides relative to alternative education programs for students suspended or
expelled from school, including provisions for agreements for provision of education
services to students adjudicated delinquent or in need of services, students in the
custody of the office of juvenile justice and assigned to a community-based program
or facility, or students suspended or expelled for certain weapons or drug violations.
Present law (R.S. 17:416) provides relative to discipline of students. Defines an expulsion,
for purposes of present law and with certain exceptions, as a removal from all regular school
settings for a period of not less than one school semester, during which time the local public
school board shall place the pupil in an alternative school or in an alternative school setting.
Proposed law retains present law except provides that the superintendent (instead of the
school board) shall place the expelled student in a alternative school or an alternative
educational placement (instead of an alternative school setting).
Present law provides that alternative education programs may mean programs designed to
offer variations of traditional instructional programs and strategies to increase the likelihood
that students who are unmotivated or unsuccessful in traditional programs or who are
disruptive in the traditional school environment remain in school and obtain a high school
diploma. Provides that such programs may include but are not limited to programs that hold
students to strict standards of behavior in highly structured and controlled environments,
sometimes referred to as "boot camps", "police schools", or "court schools".
Present law (R.S. 17:416.2) requires local school system governing authorities to supervise
a student suspended or expelled from school using alternative education programs approved
by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Excludes students
expelled for certain offenses involving weapons or controlled dangerous substances from
this requirement. Provides that a student expelled for certain weapons and controlled
dangerous substance offenses may only be readmitted to a school, including an alternative
education program, in the school system from which expelled prior to completion of his
expulsion period in accordance with present law procedures (R.S. 17:416(C)(2)(d)).
Specifies that no school system shall be liable for a student attending an alternative
education program at a location other than a school site.
Proposed law retains present law except:
(1)Removes the exclusion for students expelled for weapon and controlled dangerous
substances offenses from the requirement for supervision using alternative education
programs. HLS 12RS-3559 ENGROSSED
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(2)Removes specific inclusion of alternative education programs in provision for
readmission only to the school system from which the student was expelled.
Present law requires BESE to adopt rules and regulations to implement present law.
Proposed law additionally requires that such rules and regulations include provisions for
cases in which a school governing authority enters into an agreement with an education
service provider for the education of students who have been adjudicated delinquent or as
a member of a family in need of services, or are in the custody of the office of juvenile
justice as a result of such an adjudication and assigned by the office to a community-based
program or facility, or are students who have been suspended or expelled for certain
weapons and controlled dangerous substances offenses. Requires that such rules and
regulations include the following:
(1)Require that such services be provided to the school governing authority at the actual
costs incurred by the provider, not to exceed for each student the pro rata share of the
combined state and local per pupil amount of the minimum foundation program for
such governing authority.
(2)Require provision of academic, behavioral, and mental health interventions to
support the on-time graduation of students who are suspended, expelled, or at high
risk for drop out or entry into the juvenile justice system, including but not limited
to specified interventions and supports of each of the three types.
Proposed law specifies that it shall not prevent any nonprofit organization that provides
alternative education services to a school governing authority from applying to operate a
charter school pursuant to R.S. 17:3983.
Proposed law requires that the governing authority of a Type 5 charter school receive
approval from the superintendent of the Recovery School District (RSD) before entering into
an agreement with an educational service provider for alternative education services
pursuant to proposed law and provides that any such agreement shall not be subject to
proposed law relative to providing services at actual cost (see (1) above).
Proposed law provides that agreements in effect on the effective date of proposed law and
prospective agreements between the RSD and an educational service provider for alternative
education shall not be subject to proposed law relative to providing services at actual cost
(see (1) above) but shall be approved by the state superintendent of education.
Present law includes procedures for a school system to obtain a waiver from requirements
for providing for alternative education programs but prohibits applications for such waivers
beginning with the 2008-2009 school year.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Present law requires that any expelled student attending an alternative education program
and exhibiting disorderly conduct shall be dismissed from the alternative education program
and shall not be permitted to return to the alternative education program until his period of
expulsion has ended.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:416(A)(2)(c) and 416.2(A) and (D); Repeals R.S. 17:416.2(B) and (F))