Page 1 of 2
Prepared by Linda Nugent.
Leger HB No. 953
(KEYWORD, SUMMARY, AND DIGEST as amended by Senate committee
amendments)
STUDENT/STANDARDS. Provides for the collection, sharing, and use of student
assessment results and information by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education
DIGEST
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 Bd. 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 three 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 2014-15 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 2014-15
and 2015-16 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 2014-15 and 2015-16 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, BESE 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)BESE shall not use the results of such assessments to require the use of value-added
data in the evaluation of educators. BESE may promulgate rules to ensure that local
public school systems have an accurate basis for measuring student growth in the
absence of such data. Page 2 of 2
Prepared by Linda Nugent.
Proposed law provides that beginning with the 2016-17 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 2014-15 and 2015-16 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 2014-15 and 2015-16 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 2012-13, 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.
House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill.
1. For the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years, replaces a provision that school and
district grade distributions shall not vary unless they improve with a provision
that a school or district's letter grade shall not vary unless it has improved in its
performance.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
reengrossed bill
1. 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.