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)]
Leger HB No. 953
Abstract: Provides for the collection, sharing, and use of student assessment results and
information by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education including for
purposes of distributing letter grades to schools and school districts.
Present law provides for the La. Competency-Based Education Program, including the
development and implementation of statewide content standards for required subjects and
the La. Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) by the state Dept. of Education with approval
of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Defines "statewide content
standards for required subjects" as statements that define what a student should know or be able
to accomplish at the end of a specific time period or grade level or at the completion of a course.
Proposed law revises this definition to provide for what "La. public elementary and secondary
students" rather than for what "a student" should know or be able to accomplish and otherwise
retains present law.
Present law requires standards-based assessments for required subjects (English language arts,
math, science, and social studies) to be implemented by BESE and administered in at least grades
3 through 11. Provides that such assessments be based on state content standards and rigorous
student achievement standards comparable to national student achievement levels. Further
requires that the rigor of such assessments shall at least compare to that of national achievement
tests. Specifies that beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, the standards-based assessments
in English language arts and math shall be based on nationally recognized content standards.
Requires BESE to establish the adequate test scores for determining successful student
performance on the tests. Proposed law retains present law and additionally requires BESE to:
(1)Collect statewide results from the assessments administered to students in 2014-2015 and
2015-2016 in order to define the basis for student achievement expectations to be used in
the school and district accountability system.
(2)Comply with federal and state law in reporting student results from such assessments.
(3)Provide aggregate results from such assessments to an appropriately qualified faculty
member at a La. postsecondary education institution to analyze student performance and
advise the board on the basis for achievement expectations.
Proposed law adds that for the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years, BESE: (1)Shall use the statewide results from the assessments administered in 2014-2015 and
2015-2016 as the basis for a distribution of school and district letter grades that shall not
vary from the distribution of letter grades resulting from the 2012-2013 assessment
results unless schools or districts improve in their performance such that the overall
distribution of letter grades is better than the 2012-2013 distribution.
(2)After assigning letter grades, shall establish an academic support plan for each public
school that concludes its third consecutive year of academic failure and shall require a
change in school governance only after such a plan has been implemented in the school
for at least one year.
(3)Shall not use the results of such assessments to require the use of value-added data in the
evaluation of educators. Authorizes the board to promulgate rules to ensure that local
public school systems have an accurate basis for measuring student growth in the absence
of such data.
Proposed law provides that beginning with the 2016-2017 school year and continuing thereafter,
BESE shall use the results of the assessments as the basis for student achievement expectations
in the school and district accountability system and in value-added analysis. Further provides that
BESE shall use such assessments based on nationally competitive standards to establish a
statewide performance goal to be reached by 2025 and shall use such a goal as the basis for
school and performance expectations.
(Amends R.S. 17:24.4(A)(4) and (F)(1); Adds R.S. 17:24.4(F)(2))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the original bill.
1. Deletes proposed law that required that statewide content standards be established in
accordance with La. educational priorities as determined by BESE and that prohibited
the standards from requiring the use of federally or state-endorsed curricula,
textbooks, or other instructional materials and from requiring the collection or
reporting of any student data.
2. Adds requirements that BESE collect results from the assessments administered in
2014-2015 and 2015-2016 in order to define the basis for student achievement
expectations to be used in the school and district accountability system; comply with
federal and state law in reporting student results from such assessments; and provide
aggregate results from such assessments to a qualified faculty member at a La.
postsecondary education institution to analyze student performance and advise the
board on the basis for achievement expectations.
3. Adds that for the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years, BESE shall use the
statewide results from the assessments as the basis for a distribution of school and district letter grades that shall not vary from the distribution of letter grades from
2012-2013, unless under certain circumstances; shall establish an academic support
plan for certain failing public schools; and shall require a change in school
governance only after such a plan has been implemented for one year.
4. Prohibits BESE from using the results of such assessments to require the use of value-
added data in the evaluation of educators.
5. Authorizes BESE to promulgate rules to ensure that local public school systems have
an accurate basis for measuring student growth in the absence of value-added data.