SLS 16RS-315 ENGROSSED
2016 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 262
BY SENATOR MORRISH AND REPRESENTATIVE PRICE
EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY. Provides relative to state content standards and
related tests and assessments. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:24.4(F)(1)(g), relative to statewide content standards and assessments for
3 required subjects; to provide for the use of such results and information for specified
4 purposes including for purposes of distributing school and district letter grades,
5 teacher evaluations, and pupil progression; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:24.4(F)(1)(g) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 ยง24.4. Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program; statewide standards for
9 required subjects; Louisiana Educational Assessment Program; parish
10 or city school board comprehensive pupil progression plans; waivers
11 * * *
12 (F)(1)(a) * * *
13 (g) For the 2016-2017 school year:
14 (i) The board shall collect results from the assessments administered to
15 students but shall not require the use of such assessments for purposes of
16 evaluating teacher performance or making placement decisions for fourth and
17 eighth grade students.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 262
SLS 16RS-315 ENGROSSED
1 (ii) The board shall use the statewide results from the assessments as the
2 basis for a distribution of school and district letter grades that shall not vary
3 from the distribution of letter grades resulting from the 2012-2013 assessment
4 results, unless schools or districts improve in their performance such that the
5 overall distribution of letter grades is better than the 2012-2013 distribution.
6 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
7 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
8 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
9 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
10 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 262 Engrossed 2016 Regular Session Morrish
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 Louisiana
public elementary and secondary students 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.
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. Requires BESE to establish the adequate test scores for
determining successful student performance on the tests. Additionally, requires BESE to
collect statewide results from the assessments administered to students in 2014-2015 and
2015-16 in order to define the basis for student achievement expectations to be used in the
school and district accountability system; not vary a school or district's letter grade from its
letter grade from the 2012-2013 school year unless the school or district has improved in its
performance.
Proposed law provides that for the 2016-2017 school year BESE shall collect assessment
data but shall not require use of the results for evaluating teacher performance or making
placement decisions for fourth and eighth grade students. Additionally, proposed law
continues the requirement that the distribution of school and district letter grades shall not
vary from that in the 2012-2013 school year, unless the school or district has improved in
its performance.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:24.4(F)(1)(g))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 262
SLS 16RS-315 ENGROSSED
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
original bill
1. Removes provisions extending suspension of accountability impacts for the
2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.