SLS 12RS-397 ORIGINAL Page 1 of 3 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. 584 BY SENATOR PETERSON EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY. Provides relative to school performance scores and labels. (gov sig) AN ACT1 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:10.1(F), relative to school and district accountability; to2 provide for a school quality rating system for public schools and school districts; and3 to provide for related matters.4 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:5 Section 1. R.S. 17:10.1(F) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 6 ยง10.1. School and district accountability system; purpose; responsibilities of state7 board; school quality rating system8 * * *9 F.(1) In addition to any other performance-related labels or designations10 assigned to public schools and school districts pursuant to the school and district11 accountability system, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in12 consultation with parents, teachers, school administrators, and other education13 stakeholders, shall develop a letter grade school quality rating system reflective of14 school and district performance that shall include be based upon but not necessarily15 be limited to the following factors:16 (1)(a) Assignment of a letter grade to each public elementary and secondary17 SB NO. 584 SLS 12RS-397 ORIGINAL Page 2 of 3 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. school and school district that is based upon the current method of determining1 school and district performance scores.2 (b) Any school that has been labeled academically unacceptable shall be3 assigned a grade of "F".4 (a) Meeting student proficiency benchmarks and standards established5 by the board for each core subject area.6 (b) Completion rate.7 (c) Dropout rate.8 (d) Growth or decline in student academic achievement.9 (2) Inclusion of the letter grade Each public elementary and secondary10 school and school district shall receive a rating of either Exemplary,11 Commendable, Recognized, Academically Acceptable, or Academically12 Unacceptable and the quality rating assigned to each public school and school13 district shall be included in the school report cards compiled by the Department of14 Education and distributed to parents and in any public release of school and district15 performance scores.16 (3) Creation of an honor roll which recognizes all high-performing schools17 and high schools with graduation rates that exceed the state average, which shall also18 be made public when information relative to school and district performance scores19 and letter grades are released.20 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not21 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature22 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If23 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become24 effective on the day following such approval.25 The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston. DIGEST Present law requires BESE, in addition to any other performance related labels or designations, to assign a letter grade to each public elementary and secondary school and SB NO. 584 SLS 12RS-397 ORIGINAL Page 3 of 3 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. school district based upon the current method of determining school and district performance scores. Requires that any school that has been labeled academically unacceptable be assigned a grade of "F". Proposed law deletes provisions requiring that letter grades be assigned to public schools and school districts and instead requires BESE to develop a school quality rating system reflective of school and district performance that shall include but not be limited to the following factors: (1)Meeting student proficiency benchmarks and standards established by BESE for each core subject area. (2)Completion rate. (3)Dropout rate. (4)Growth or decline in student academic achievement. Proposed law provides that each public elementary and secondary school and school district shall receive one of the following ratings, which shall be included on the school and district report cards issued by the Dept. of Education: (1)Exemplary (2)Commendable (3)Recognized (4)Academically Acceptable (5)Academically Unacceptable Present law requires BESE to create and make public an honor roll which recognizes all high-performing high schools and high schools with graduation rates that exceed the state average. Proposed law retains these provisions. Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action. (Amends R.S. 17:10.1(F))