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)]
HB 650 Original 2016 Regular Session Price
Abstract: Deletes the requirement that salary schedules for teachers, administrators, and other
certified employees be based on effectiveness as determined by the teacher performance
evaluation program; to permit local public school boards to determine the portion of an
evaluation that is based on growth in student achievement using a value-added assessment
model.
Present law provides relative to salary schedules for public school teachers and other public school
employees. Requires that such schedules for teachers, administrators, and other certified school
employees shall be based on effectiveness as determined by the teacher performance evaluation
program; demand, inclusive of area of certification, particular school need, geographic area, and
subject area, which may include advanced degree levels; and experience. Provides that such salaries
shall be considered as full compensation for all work required within each employee's prescribed
scope of duties and responsibilities. Prohibits any teacher or administrator rated as "ineffective"
pursuant to present law performance evaluation program from receiving a higher salary in the year
following the evaluation than he received in the year of the evaluation. Prohibits salary reductions,
with certain exceptions. Proposed law deletes the requirement that salary schedules for teachers,
administrators, and other certified employees be based on effectiveness as determined by the teacher
performance evaluation program. Otherwise retains present law.
Present law relative to the teacher evaluation program, requires city, parish, and other local public
school boards to use a value-added assessment model as determined by the State Bd. of Elementary
and Secondary Education (BESE) for evaluating teachers and administrators. Requires that 50% of
such evaluations shall be based on evidence of growth in student achievement using the model for
grade levels and subjects for which value-added data is available. For grade levels and subjects for
which value-added data is not available and for personnel for whom value-added data is not
available, provides that BESE shall establish measures of student growth. Further requires that the
model shall take into account important student factors, including but not limited to special
education, eligibility for free or reduced price meals, student attendance, and student discipline.
Prohibits the value-added model and the measures of student growth for grade levels and subjects
for which value-added data are not available from including a test score or data of a student who has
10 or more unexcused absences in any school semester in that year. Provides that BESE shall adopt
a policy to invalidate such student growth data for any teacher for any school year in which there is
a natural disaster or any other unexpected event that results in the temporary closure of the school.
Proposed law retains present law but deletes the 50% requirement and instead permits each local
board to determine the portion for the teachers and administrators employed in its system, which
shall be in a range from a minimum of 15% to a maximum of 25%. (Amends R.S. 17:418(B)(1) and 3902(B)(intro. para.) and (5))