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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE BILL NO. 968
BY REPRESENTATIVE LEGER
STUDENTS: Provides relative to dropout prevention and recovery
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:221.4(A) and to enact R.S. 17:221.6, relative to the dropout2
prevention and recovery program; to provide with respect to the requirements for3
such a program; to provide with respect to a development of an individual graduation4
plan for each eligible student enrolled in such a program; to provide for definitions;5
and to provide for related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. R.S. 17:221.4(A) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 17:221.6 is8
hereby enacted to read as follows:9
§221.4. Dropout prevention and recovery program10
A. This Section shall be known and may be cited as the "Louisiana School11
Dropout Prevention and Recovery Act of 2008 2014".12
* * *13
§221.6. Dropout recovery programs; individual graduation plan; requirements;14
definitions15
A. Each school district and charter school that provides instruction to high16
school students may offer a dropout recovery program for eligible students.17
B. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall prescribe18
standards and achievement testing requirements for dropout recovery programs that19 HLS 14RS-1437 ENGROSSED
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attempt to ensure that the programs are compatible with public school education1
goals and requirements.2
C. The dropout recovery program shall do the following:3
(1) Make available appropriate and sufficient supports for students, including4
tutoring, career counseling, and college counseling.5
(2) Comply with federal and state laws governing students with disabilities.6
(3) Meet state requirements for high school graduation.7
D. Each eligible student enrolled in a dropout recovery program shall have8
an individual graduation plan developed by the student's assigned academic coach.9
The plan shall include the following elements:10
(1) The start date and anticipated end date of the plan.11
(2) Courses to be completed by the student during the academic year.12
(3) Whether courses will be taken sequentially or concurrently.13
(4) State competency exams to be taken, as necessary.14
(5) Expectations for satisfactory monthly progress.15
(6) Expectations for contact with the student's assigned academic coach.16
E. The monthly participation in a dropout recovery program shall be reported17
for funding purposes to the state Department of Education on or before the tenth18
school day of the following month. Monthly participation calculations shall include:19
(1) Newly enrolled students who have an individual graduation plan on file20
on or before the first school day of the month.21
(2) Students who met the expectations for satisfactory monthly progress for22
the month.23
(3) Students who did not meet the expectations for satisfactory monthly24
progress for the month but did meet the expectations one of the two previous months.25
(4) Students who met expectations for program reentry in the revised26
individual graduation plan in the previous month.27
F. School districts and charter schools may contract with an educational28
management organization to provide a dropout recovery program. If contracting29 HLS 14RS-1437 ENGROSSED
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with an educational management organization, the school district or charter school1
shall ensure that all of the following requirements are met:2
(1) The educational management organization is accredited by a regional3
accrediting body.4
(2) Teachers provided by the educational management organization hold a5
current teaching license from any state, and teachers of core subjects are highly6
qualified in the subjects to which they are assigned.7
G. Dropout recovery programs shall be classified as alternative programs.8
H. Entities that are contracted to provide dropout recovery programs may9
conduct outreach to encourage students who are not enrolled in a school district or10
charter school in this state to return to school. Entities that are contracted to provide11
dropout recovery programs shall not conduct advertising or marketing campaigns12
directed at students who are currently enrolled in a school district or charter school,13
or undertake any other activity that encourages students who are enrolled in a school14
district or charter school to stop attending school in order to qualify for a dropout15
recovery program.16
I. For the purposes of this Section:17
(1) "Eligible student" means a student who is not enrolled in a school district18
or charter school and who has been withdrawn from a school district or charter19
school for at least thirty days, unless a school administrator determines that the20
student is unable to participate in other district programs.21
(2) "Satisfactory monthly progress" means an amount of progress that is22
measurable on a monthly basis and that, if continued for a full twelve months, would23
result in the same amount of academic credit being awarded to the student as would24
be awarded to a student in a traditional education program who completes a full25
school year. Satisfactory monthly progress may include a lesser required amount of26
progress for the first two months that a student participates in the program.27 HLS 14RS-1437 ENGROSSED
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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. 968
Abstract: Provides with respect to dropout recovery programs.
Proposed law provides that each school district and charter school that provides instruction
to high school students may offer a dropout recovery program for eligible students. Provides
that the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall prescribe standards and
achievement testing requirements for dropout recovery programs that attempt to ensure that
the programs are compatible with public school education goals and requirements.
Provides that the dropout recovery programs shall make available appropriate and sufficient
supports for students, including tutoring, career counseling and college counseling, comply
with federal and state laws governing students with disabilities, and meet state requirements
for high school graduation.
Provides that each eligible student enrolled in a dropout recovery program shall have an
individual graduation plan developed by the student's assigned academic coach. Specifies
certain elements to be included in the plan.
Provides that the monthly participation in a dropout recovery program shall be reported for
funding purposes to the state Dept. of Education on or before the 10
th
day of the following
month. Requires that monthly participation calculations shall include specified components.
Authorizes school districts and charter schools to contract with an educational management
organization to provide a dropout recovery program and if so, shall ensure that the
educational management organization is accredited by a regional accrediting body and that
teachers provided by the educational management organization hold a current teaching
license and that teachers of core subjects are highly qualified in those subjects.
Provides that dropout recovery programs shall be classified as alternative programs. Further
provides that entities that are contracted to provide dropout recovery programs may conduct
outreach to encourage students who are not enrolled in a school district or charter school in
this state to return to school. Prohibits entities that are contracted to provide dropout
recovery programs from conducting advertising or marketing campaigns directed at students
who are enrolled in a school district or charter school, or undertake any other activity that
encourages students who are enrolled in a school district or charter school to stop attending
school in order to qualify for a dropout recovery program.
Defines "eligible student" and "satisfactory monthly progress" for purposes of proposed law.
(Amends R.S. 17:221.4(A); Adds R.S. 17:221.6)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the original
bill.
1. Deletes requirement that dropout recovery programs provide curriculum aligned
to standards adopted by BESE and the authorization for the curriculum to be
delivered online. HLS 14RS-1437 ENGROSSED
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2. Deletes requirement that dropout recovery programs provide standardized tests
required by state and federal law.
3. Requires students in dropout recovery programs to have an individual graduation
plan instead of a written learning plan and requires that such plan be developed
by the student's assigned academic coach instead of assigned mentor.
4. Requires that monthly participation in a dropout recovery program be reported
for funding purposes to the state Dept. of Education on or before the 10
th
day of
the following month instead of being recorded on or before the 10
th
day of each
month and reported to the department.
5. Deletes provisions with regard to recording and calculating student attendance
for students participating in dropout recovery programs.
6. Deletes requirement that school districts and charter schools are responsible for
tuition and fees for students participating in dropout recovery programs.
7. Provides that dropout recovery programs are classified as alternative programs
instead of alternative schools.
8. Provides for determinations made by school administrators instead of school
districts with regard to student eligibility for participation in a dropout recovery
program.