SLS 12RS-496 ENGROSSED
Page 1 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Regular Session, 2012
SENATE BILL NO. 309
BY SENATOR DONAHUE
EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY. Deletes outdated school improvement plan
requirements. (8/1/12)
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:10.2 and to repeal R.S. 17:7(19), relative to the school and2
district accountability system; to provide relative to certain requirements for3
educational improvement plans; to remove certain requirements relative to4
submission of school improvement plans; to require the Department of Education to5
provide trend data reports to the governing authority of each public school; to repeal6
provision relative to implementation of a school improvement pilot program; and to7
provide for related matters.8
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:9
Section 1. R.S. 17:10.2 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 10
ยง10.2. School and district responsibilities; preparation for the schoolSchool and11
district accountability system; trend data profiles; employee12
incentive awards13
A. In preparation for the school and district accountability system, each14
school and each school district shall develop, modify, or both, any existing15
educational improvement plans for academic achievement by no later than April 1,16
1998, as follows:17 SB NO. 309
SLS 12RS-496 ENGROSSED
Page 2 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
(1) Each school shall provide for a plan for improving academic achievement1
which shall be developed by educators, parents, and other community2
representatives, based on a self-examination of previous trend data including student3
test scores on the state norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests, student and4
teacher attendance, dropout rate, and any other additional indicators deemed5
appropriate.6
(2) Based on the data, each school shall set specific goals or growth targets7
for improving all or some of these factors by the end of the 1998-1999 school year8
using information collected during school year 1996-1997 as their initial baseline.9
(3) Each plan shall include those strategies that will be implemented to10
improve academic achievement and are designed to help the school meet the growth11
targets that each school has set. Each plan shall also identify any local or state policy12
or state law modifications which would be beneficial in helping the school13
implement its strategies for improvement.14
(4) Each school shall submit its school improvement plan to its local school15
board for review and approval by no later than May 1, 1998.16
B. Each school board shall ensure that each school develops an improvement17
plan focused on academic achievement which meets the requirements of this Section18
by doing each of the following:19
(1) Providing for assistance to every school for the development and20
implementation of their school improvement plans.21
(2) Reviewing and approving each school plan.22
(3) Selecting at least twenty percent of the schools in each district which23
shall consist of the lowest achieving schools in the district and providing those24
schools additional assistance with their strategies designed to improve academic25
achievement to meet their identified growth targets.26
(4) Reviewing and considering modifications of local policies which schools27
have identified in their school improvement plans.28
(5) Reviewing and considering seeking a waiver from the State Board of29 SB NO. 309
SLS 12RS-496 ENGROSSED
Page 3 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Elementary and Secondary Education regarding any identified state policies, and1
compiling a list of requested state law changes and presenting this list to the state2
board.3
C.A. By October 1, 1997, the The state Department of Education shall4
provide to the governing authority of each public school a profile of its trend data5
as gathered by the state pursuant to R.S. 17:3911 beginning with school year 1994-6
1995. The department shall ensure that all future reports as required pursuant to R.S.7
17:3912 contain trend data for at least three years.8
D.B.(1) A city or parish school board may adopt written policies and9
procedures to establish and implement for such employees of the board as it deems10
appropriate an incentive compensation program providing for monetary awards11
based on performance which meets or exceeds standards established for a school or12
the school district, or both, pursuant to R.S. 17:10.1 and applicable policy of the13
State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education relative to the school and14
district accountability system.15
(2)(a) The amount of any monetary award provided to a school board16
employee pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection shall be exempt from any17
limitation in law prohibiting the amount paid to the employee in any school year18
from being reduced below the amount paid during the previous school year or19
prohibiting the amount paid to the employee from being reduced at any time during20
the year, including but not limited to any such limitations in R.S. 17:421.3, 422.6,21
and 431.22
(b) The amount of any monetary award provided to a school board employee23
pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection shall not be used in the calculation of24
any other employee benefit provided for by law.25
(3) For the purposes of this Subsection, "city or parish school board" shall26
mean the governing authority of a public elementary or secondary school.27
Section 2. R.S. 17:7(19) is hereby repealed.28 SB NO. 309
SLS 12RS-496 ENGROSSED
Page 4 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Nancy Vicknair.
DIGEST
Donahue (SB 309)
Present law requires each school and each school district to develop and modify existing
educational improvement plans for academic achievement by no later than April 1, 1998, in
preparation for the school and district accountability system as follows:
1. Requires each school to provide for a plan for improving academic achievement to
be developed by educators, parents, and other community representatives, based on
a self-examination of previous trend data including student test scores on the state
norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests, student and teacher attendance,
dropout rate, and any other additional indicators deemed appropriate.
2. Requires each school, based on the data, to set specific goals or growth targets for
improving all or some of these factors by the end of the 1998-1999 school year using
information collected during school year 1996-1997 as their initial baseline.
3. Requires each plan to include those strategies that will be implemented to improve
academic achievement and are designed to help the school meet the growth targets
that each school has set. Provides for each plan to also identify any local or state
policy or state law modifications which would be beneficial in helping the school
implement its strategies for improvement.
4. Requires each school to submit its school improvement plan to its local school board
for review and approval by no later than May 1, 1998.
Proposed law deletes present law.
Present law requires each school board to ensure that each school develops an improvement
plan focused on academic achievement which meets the requirements of present law by
doing each of the following:
1. Providing for assistance to every school for the development and implementation of
their school improvement plans.
2. Reviewing and approving each school plan.
3. Selecting at least 20% of the schools in each district which shall consist of the lowest
achieving schools in the district and providing those schools additional assistance
with their strategies designed to improve academic achievement to meet their
identified growth targets.
4. Reviewing and considering modifications of local policies which schools have
identified in their school improvement plans.
5. Reviewing and considering seeking a waiver from the BESE regarding any identified
state policies, and compiling a list of requested state law changes and presenting this
list to the state board.
Proposed law deletes present law.
Present law requires the state Dept. of Education, by October 1, 1997, to provide to each
school a profile of its trend data as gathered by the state pursuant to present law beginning
with school year 1994-1995. SB NO. 309
SLS 12RS-496 ENGROSSED
Page 5 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Proposed law requires the department to provide to the governing authority of each public
school a profile of its trend data as gathered by the state pursuant to present law, and
eliminates the time frames provided for in present law.
Present law requires the department to ensure that all future reports contain trend data for
at least three years.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law authorizes a local school board to adopt written policies to implement for
employees of the board an incentive compensation program providing for monetary awards
based on performance which meets or exceeds standards established for a school or the
school district, or both, pursuant to applicable state board policy relative to the school and
district accountability system. Provides that the amount of any monetary award provided to
a school board employee is exempt from any limitation in law prohibiting the amount paid
to the employee in any school year from being reduced below the amount paid during the
previous school year or prohibiting the amount paid to the employee from being reduced at
any time during the year. Provides that the amount of any monetary award provided to a
school board employee will not be used in the calculation of any other employee benefit
provided for by law.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law requires the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop,
adopt, and by not later than the beginning of the 1994-1995 school year, provide for the
implementation of a comprehensive school improvement pilot program in grades six through
twelve. Requires the department to select six schools, based on criteria to be established by
the department and approved by the board, for participation in the pilot program. Further
requires each school selected for participation in the pilot program to formulate and develop
a plan for improving overall school climate to enhance school organization and student
outcomes. Requires such plan to include, but not be limited to, the following components:
1. Improvement of human relations skills, with primary focus on teacher-student
relations, as well as student-student, teacher-teacher, and school-parent-community
relations.
2. Issues relative to race, culture, class, and shared values.
3. Counseling for students who are in need of counseling.
4. Improvement of teaching and learning, including emphasis on multisensory
approaches to learning, applied learning, interdisciplinary learning, heterogeneous
grouping, and team-oriented cooperative learning situations.
5. Provisions for a school environment that is clean, attractive, safe, and comfortable.
Present law requires that the implementation of present law be subject to the appropriation
of funds by the legislature.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Effective August 1, 2012.
(Amends R.S. 17:10.2; repeals R.S. 17:7(19))