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)]
CONFERENCE COMMI TTEE REPORT DIGEST
House Bill No. 1015 by Representative Schroder
Keyword and oneliner of the instrument as it left the House
EDUCATION/SPECIAL: Provides for determinations for grade level promotion of certain
students with exceptionalities regarding performance on state tests and provides for calculations
of school performance scores relative to such students
Report adopts Senate amendments to:
1. Add that proposed law applies only to a student identified with an exceptionality other
than gifted and talented.
2. Provide that to be eligible to pursue an alternative pathway to graduation, a student with
an exceptionality must fail to meet BESE prescribed performance benchmarks for two of
the most recent three years instead of the previous year.
3. Delete proposed law that allowed the IEP team to establish minimum score requirements
on assessments for promotion and graduation and instead requires the team to establish
minimum performance requirements in the student's IEP relevant to promotion and
graduation, including the assessments to be used for awarding course credits. Also
requires IEP team to consider establishing minimum performance requirements for
annual academic and functional goals resulting from the student's disability.
4. Provide that the criteria established in a student's IEP will prevail over his Individual
Graduation Plan, if applicable.
5. Delete proposed law requirements that school performance score calculations include the
percentage of students with exceptionalities whose IEP teams determine they are not
required to meet the state-established benchmarks on the required state assessments for
grade promotion compared to the total student population and that the calculation include
the assignment of points for students with exceptionalities who meet their IEP team goals
and objectives necessary for promotion and graduation.
Report rejects Senate amendments that: 1. Conflicted with amendments as proposed in this Report.
Report amends the bill to:
1. Resolve conflicts between this bill and certain provisions of enrolled House Bill No. 944
from the 2014 Regular Session relative to the high school career option program as it
applies to certain students with exceptionalities.
Digest of the bill as proposed by the Conference Committee
Present law, relative to students with exceptionalities, provides that the State Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) may establish a procedure for the state
superintendent of education to grant a waiver allowing any such student who fails to meet the
required achievement level necessary for promotion to the next grade on a test administered
pursuant to present law or BESE policies if the student meets certain criteria established by
BESE relative to attendance, grades, and conduct.
Proposed law instead requires BESE to adopt a rule to provide that a student's Individualized
Education Program (IEP) team shall determine promotion of the student to the next grade level if
the student meets certain criteria established by the IEP team relative to performance on IEP
goals and objectives. Requires that if an IEP team determines that the student is not required to
meet state or local established performance standards on any assessment for purposes of
promotion, the team shall take certain actions including but not limited to identifying rigorous
educational goals for the student and a course of study that promotes college or workforce
readiness. Provides that an alternative pathway to promotion and graduation determination by a
student's IEP team shall apply only if the student has not otherwise met the state and local
requirements for promotion or has not otherwise met state-established benchmarks on the
required state assessments in the year immediately prior to each grade level in which the student
would otherwise be required to demonstrate certain proficiency levels in order to advance to the
next grade level. Specifies that proposed law does not apply to a student identified as gifted and
talented with no other exceptionality.
Provides that if a student, for any two of the three most recent school years, or for a student in
high school, the two most recent administrations of any state-established assessments required
for graduation, has not otherwise met state-established benchmarks on required state
assessments, the student's IEP team may determine an alternative pathway to graduation for the
student.
Provides that if an IEP team determines that state-established requirements for academic
proficiency on the required state assessments are no longer a condition for promotion or
graduation for a student, the team shall:
(1)Within 30 days of the student entering the course or grade level, establish minimum
performance requirements in the student's IEP relevant to promotion or graduation requirements, including but not limited to end-of-course assessments, to be incorporated
for awarding course credits. Requires BESE to make available a list of multiple
appropriate assessments and guidance for use in establishing minimum score
requirements on the assessments that an IEP team may but shall not be required to use.
Requires the IEP team to consider establishing minimum performance requirements for
annual academic and functional goals designed to meet the student's needs that result
from the student's disability and that will enable the student to be involved in and make
progress in the general education curriculum, and to meet other educational needs of the
student that result from the student's disability, including the student's postsecondary
goals related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent
living skills.
(2)Provide the student and his parent or legal guardian with information related to how
requirements that vary from standard expectations may impact future educational and
career options.
Provides that students with exceptionalities be afforded the same opportunities to pursue a high
school diploma and to exit with all course credits, honors, and financial awards as other students.
Specifies that such students are not guaranteed a diploma and have to meet either the standard
requirements or those established by his IEP team to be awarded a diploma.
Provides that a student with an exceptionality who successfully completes the requirements of his
IEP shall be issued a high school diploma. Provides that the IEP team determines if the student
is required to meet state or local established performance standards on any assessment for
purposes of graduation and if the determination is that the student is not so required, the student
is required to successfully complete IEP goals and requirements and to meet specified conditions.
Provides that a diploma issued to a student based on achieving his IEP goals and objectives shall
count equally and be assigned the same number of points in the school performance score
calculation for high schools as are assigned for a diploma issued to any other student.
Requires the state Dept. of Education to track the performance of students with exceptionalities
across school systems and, in collaboration with the Special Education Advisory Panel, establish
indicators to identify school systems with disproportionately high rates of students with
exceptionalities performing below expected levels and declines in performance across subgroups
of students with exceptionalities. Further requires the department to develop and implement a
monitoring and corrective action system to address school systems identified as having high rates
of students with exceptionalities performing below expected levels.
Present law relative to the high school career option program, provides for an academic major
(college prep. courses) and a career major (academic courses and modern vocational studies).
Requires BESE to develop and adopt requirements for career major programs offered by school
boards and to issue a career diploma to students who successfully complete such requirements.
Requires students in a career major program to complete an academic core of courses and a
career and technical sequence of courses and specifies course requirements. Requires a student
seeking to pursue a career major curriculum to meet specified conditions. Requires BESE to certify that the pupil progression plan of each local school system that promotes a student who
did not meet 8th grade LEAP standards to the 9th grade contains specified requirements.
Present law relative to Individual Graduation Plans, requires students by the end of the 8th grade,
to develop a plan to help explore educational and career possibilities and to make appropriate
decisions as part of an overall career plan. Permits students to choose the high school curriculum
framework and related graduation requirements that best meet their postsecondary goals.
Provides that each student's plan shall include the recommended sequence of courses needed for
successful completion of his chosen career major and shall be reviewed annually and updated as
needed. Requires that a student's plan be signed by the student and his parent or other legal
guardian.
Proposed law provides for applicability of present law to students with exceptionalities as
defined in present law (R.S. 17:1942(B), except gifted and talented students who have no other
exceptionality).
Proposed law retains present law and provides for determinations relative to promotion and
graduation requirements to be made by the student's IEP team. Provides for involvement by the
IEP team in the development and review of an Individual Graduation Plan.
(Amends R.S. 17:24.4(H), 183.2(B)(1) and (C), 183.3(D)(1) and 2925(A); Adds R.S.
17:183.3(E) and (F); Repeals R.S. 17:183.2(B)(2))