ENROLLED
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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE BILL NO. 968
BY REPRESENTATIVE LEGER
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's prescribed18
standards and achievement testing requirements shall apply to dropout recovery19
programs.20
C. The dropout recovery program shall do the following:21
(1) Make available appropriate and sufficient supports for students, including22
tutoring, career counseling, and college counseling.23
(2) Comply with federal and state laws governing students with disabilities.24 ENROLLEDHB NO. 968
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(3) Meet state requirements for high school graduation.1
D. Each eligible student enrolled in a dropout recovery program shall have2
an individual graduation plan developed by the student's assigned academic coach.3
The plan shall include the following elements:4
(1) The start date and anticipated end date of the plan.5
(2) Courses to be completed by the student during the academic year.6
(3) Whether courses will be taken sequentially or concurrently.7
(4) State competency exams to be taken, as necessary.8
(5) Expectations for satisfactory monthly progress.9
(6) Expectations for contact with the student's assigned academic coach.10
E. A student enrolled in a dropout recovery program pursuant to this Section11
shall be included in the student enrollment count for the school or school system12
offering the program. Each school and school system shall report the following13
information to the state Department of Education on a monthly basis:14
(1) Newly enrolled students who have an individual graduation plan on file15
on or before the first school day of the month.16
(2) Students who met the expectations for satisfactory monthly progress for17
the month.18
(3) Students who did not meet the expectations for satisfactory monthly19
progress for the month but did meet the expectations one of the two previous months.20
(4) Students who met expectations for program reentry in the revised21
individual graduation plan in the previous month.22
F. School districts and charter schools may contract with an educational23
management organization to provide a dropout recovery program. If contracting24
with an educational management organization, the school district or charter school25
shall ensure that all of the following requirements are met:26
(1) The educational management organization is accredited by a regional27
accrediting body.28 ENROLLEDHB NO. 968
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(2) Teachers provided by the educational management organization hold a1
current teaching license from any state, and teachers of core subjects are highly2
qualified in the subjects to which they are assigned.3
(3) The educational management organization has provided one or more4
dropout recovery programs for at least two years prior to providing a program5
pursuant to this Section.6
G. Dropout recovery programs shall be classified as alternative programs.7
H. Entities that are contracted to provide dropout recovery programs may8
conduct outreach to encourage students who are not enrolled in a school district or9
charter school in this state to return to school. Entities that are contracted to provide10
dropout recovery programs shall not conduct advertising or marketing campaigns11
directed at students who are currently enrolled in a school district or charter school,12
or undertake any other activity that encourages students who are enrolled in a school13
district or charter school to stop attending school in order to qualify for a dropout14
recovery program. All contracts entered into by a city, parish, or other local public15
school board for the provision of student dropout recovery programs shall include16
requirements for the protection of all personally identifiable student information that17
shall comply with all applicable state and federal law and regulations.18
I. For the purposes of this Section:19
(1) "Eligible student" means a student who is not enrolled in a school district20
or charter school and who has been withdrawn from a school district or charter21
school for at least thirty days, unless a school administrator determines that the22
student is unable to participate in other district programs.23
(2) "Satisfactory monthly progress" means an amount of progress that is24
measurable on a monthly basis and that, if continued for a full twelve months, would25
result in the same amount of academic credit being awarded to the student as would26
be awarded to a student in a traditional education program who completes a full27
school year. Satisfactory monthly progress may include a lesser required amount of28
progress for the first two months that a student participates in the program.29 ENROLLEDHB NO. 968
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(3) "Academic coach" is an adult who assists students in selecting courses1
needed to meet graduation requirements, monitors student pace and progress through2
the program, and conducts regular pace and progress interventions.3
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: