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2017 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 209
BY SENATOR WALSWORTH AND REPRESENTATI VE BROADWATER
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CURRICULA. Provides for the Louisiana Early College Opportunity Act. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:3165.3 and 3168(7), and to repeal Subpart A-3 of Part III of Chapter 1 of
3 Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, comprised of R.S. 17:187.1
4 through 187.5, R.S. 17:2929 and 3137, relative to articulation and transfer of credits;
5 to provide relative to the provision, eligibility, and costs of dual-enrollment courses;
6 to provide relative to the responsibilities of the State Board of Elementary and
7 Secondary Education, the Board of Regents, public postsecondary education
8 management boards, and local education agencies; to provide for reporting; and to
9 provide for related matters.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 17:3165.3 and 3168(7) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
12 §3165.3. Dual enrollment and early college opportunity
13 A. This Act shall be known as the "Louisiana Early College Opportunity
14 Act".
15 B. The public postsecondary education management boards, the State
16 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Board of Regents, and each
17 local education agency shall collaborate and coordinate efforts to provide public
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1 postsecondary educational opportunities to eligible public high school students
2 through dual-enrollment courses.
3 C. Dual-enrollment courses may include:
4 (1) Postsecondary education courses leading to credit that will transfer
5 to a Louisiana public college or university and which will apply toward an
6 associate's or bachelor's degree program. Such courses shall include English
7 composition, mathematics, sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts.
8 (2) Remedial and developmental courses to assist students in acquiring
9 the skills needed to successfully complete entry-level college English or
10 mathematics courses.
11 (3) Career and technical education courses aligned with the career major
12 diploma option as provided in R.S. 17:183.1 through 183.5.
13 D. The Board of Regents, each public postsecondary education
14 management board, and each public postsecondary institution, as appropriate,
15 shall:
16 (1) Approve academic eligibility requirements for a high school student
17 to enroll in dual-enrollment courses offered by an institution under its
18 management and supervision.
19 (2)(a) Annually establish and publish maximum tuition costs which may
20 be charged to a local education agency for dual-enrollment courses delivered:
21 (i) On the campus of a public postsecondary institution.
22 (ii) Electronically by an instructor employed by the postsecondary
23 institution.
24 (iii) On a high school campus taught by an instructor employed by a
25 postsecondary institution.
26 (b) There shall be no charge to a local education agency for a
27 dual-enrollment course taught by an employee of the local education agency.
28 However, a public postsecondary institution may charge the local education
29 agency for any required textbooks, course materials, any costs associated with
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1 applying course credit to a public postsecondary institution transcript, and any
2 costs associated with instructor training.
3 (c) A postsecondary institution may not charge a local education agency
4 an amount for a dual-enrollment course that exceeds the amount charged to a
5 postsecondary student for a similar course.
6 (3) Require each institution under its management and supervision
7 serving as a course provider pursuant to R.S. 17:4002.4 to annually provide to
8 the state Department of Education a list of dual-enrollment courses offered,
9 including any prerequisites, the course delivery method, and, if applicable, the
10 location where the course will be offered.
11 E. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall:
12 (1) Require each local education agency to establish a process to:
13 (a) Identify high school students who are academically prepared for
14 college coursework and identify high school students who are not on track to be
15 academically prepared for entry-level college courses.
16 (b) Notify each identified student of the availability of such
17 dual-enrollment courses through the process of developing and annually
18 updating student Individual Graduation Plans required pursuant to R.S.
19 17:2925.
20 (c) Provide access to dual-enrollment courses at no cost to the student.
21 However, a local education agency shall not pay any costs that are provided to,
22 or on behalf of, a student who has been awarded any federal or state scholarship
23 or grant that fully or partially funds the cost of participating in dual-enrollment
24 courses.
25 (2) Require the state Department of Education to assist local education
26 agencies to identify state and federal funds which, in addition to local funds,
27 may be used to support student participation in dual-enrollment courses.
28 F. The Board of Regents shall ensure consistency of content and rigor
29 across all courses, including dual-enrollment courses, for which postsecondary
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1 education course credit is awarded.
2 G. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, a local education
3 agency may independently and directly enter into an agreement with a
4 regionally accredited nonpublic postsecondary institution for the provision of
5 dual-enrollment courses.
6 * * *
7 §3168. Reporting
8 The Board of Regents shall submit a written report to the Senate and House
9 committees on education, not later than September thirtieth of each year, on the
10 status of statewide articulation and transfer of credit across all educational
11 institutions in Louisiana as provided in this Chapter. Such report shall, at a
12 minimum, include the following:
13 * * *
14 (7)(a) The number and percentage of high school students who take
15 dual-enrollment courses.
16 (b) The number and percentage of high school students who pass
17 dual-enrollment courses, including data by student subgroups.
18 (c) The number of postsecondary credits earned by students enrolled in
19 dual-enrollment courses.
20 (d) The number and percentage of high school students who take and
21 pass CLEP examinations.
22 (e) Postsecondary degree attainment for students who did and did not
23 participate in dual-enrollment courses.
24 (f) The amount charged to local education agencies for dual-enrollment
25 courses.
26 (g) The estimated savings to the state and students attributable to
27 dual-enrollment courses.
28 (h) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall assist
29 the Board of Regents in reporting the information required by this Paragraph.
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1 Section 2. Subpart A-3 of Part III of Chapter 1 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised
2 Statutes of 1950, comprised of R.S. 17:187.1 through 187.5, R.S. 17:2929 and 3137 are
3 hereby repealed.
4 Section 3. The provisions of this Act shall become effective only if the legislature
5 provides an appropriation for such purposes.
6 Section 4. 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 was prepared by Cheryl M. Serrett. The following
digest, which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was
prepared by Benjamin A. Huxen, II.
DIGEST
SB 209 Reengrossed 2017 Regular Session Walsworth
Present law provides for the articulation and transfer of credit between and among public
secondary and postsecondary institutions.
Present law requires the Board of Regents (BoR) and the State Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education (BESE) to enter into a statewide articulation agreement to govern the
articulation and transfer of credit between and among the state's public secondary and
postsecondary educational institutions and defines the minimum expectations contained in
the agreements. Additionally requires the Board of Regents to annually report to the house
and senate education committees.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law requires the public postsecondary education management boards, BESE, BoR,
and local education agencies (LEAs) to collaborate and coordinate efforts to provide dual-
enrollment courses. Provides that such courses may include:
(1)Postsecondary education courses that lead to credits that will apply toward an
associate's or bachelor's degree.
(2)Remedial and developmental courses to assist students in acquiring skills necessary
to successfully complete entry-level college English or mathematics courses.
(3)Career and technical courses aligned with the career major diploma.
Proposed law requires the Board of Regents, each public postsecondary management board,
and each postsecondary institution, as appropriate, to:
(1) Approve academic requirements for dual-enrollment courses.
(2) Annually establish and publish maximum tuition costs which may be charged to a
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LEA for dual-enrollment courses. Prohibits postsecondary institutions from charging
tuition costs to a LEA for dual-enrollment courses taught by an employee of the
LEA, but allows an institution to charge for required textbooks, course materials,
costs associated with applying course credit to a postsecondary transcript, and costs
associated with instructor training. Further prohibits institutions from charging an
LEA more for a dual-enrollment course than it charges for a similar postsecondary
course.
(3)Require each postsecondary institution serving as a course choice provider to
annually provide to the state Department of Education a list of dual-enrollment
courses offered, including prerequisites, course delivery method, and location where
the course will be offered.
Proposed law requires BESE to direct each LEA to establish a process to:
(1)Identify high school students who are academically prepared for college coursework
and identify high school students who are not on track to be college ready.
(2)Notify each identified student of the availability of dual-enrollment courses through
the Individual Graduation Plan development process.
(3)Provide access to such dual-enrollment courses at no cost to the student. Prohibits
an LEA from paying any costs on behalf of a student awarded state or federal
financial assistance that funds dual-enrollment courses.
Proposed law directs BESE to require the state Department of Education to assist LEAs to
identify state and federal funds that can be used to supplement local funds to support student
participation in dual-enrollment courses.
Proposed law requires the BoR to ensure consistency of content and rigor across all courses,
including dual-enrollment courses, for which postsecondary credit is awarded. Additionally
requires BoR to include the following dual-enrollment information in its annual articulation
and transfer report to the senate and house education committees:
(1)The number and percentage of high school students enrolling in dual-enrollment
courses.
(2)The number and percentage of high school students who pass dual-enrollment
courses, including data by student subgroups.
(3)The number of postsecondary credits earned through dual enrollment.
(4)The number and percentage of high school students who take and pass CLEP
examinations.
(5)Postsecondary degree attainment for students who did and did not participate in dual-
enrollment courses.
(6)The amount charged to LEAs for dual-enrollment courses.
(7)The estimated savings to the state and students attributable to dual-enrollment
courses.
Requires BESE to assist the Board of Regents in reporting this information.
Proposed law deletes obsolete provisions in present law relative to dual enrollment and
articulation and transfer.
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Proposed law permits a local education agency to independently and directly enter into an
agreement with a regionally accredited nonpublic postsecondary institution for the provision
of dual-enrollment courses.
Proposed law shall become effective only if the legislature provides an appropriation for
such purposes.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:3165.3 and 3168(7); repeals R.S. 17:187.1-187.5, R.S. 17:2929 and 3137)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
original bill
1. Requires Bd. of Regents and postsecondary boards and institutions to
"approve" instead of "establish" academic eligibility requirements for dual-
enrollment courses.
2. Allows postsecondary institutions to charge LEAs for costs associated
applying dual-enrollment credits to postsecondary transcripts and costs for
instructor training, in addition to charging for textbooks and course materials.
3. Revises the list of required information to be provided by postsecondary
institutions with regard to dual-enrollment courses.
4. Prohibits LEAs from paying costs on behalf of a student receiving state or
federal financial aid that funds dual-enrollment costs.
5. Requires BESE to assist the Bd. of Regents in reporting required
information.
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Finance to the
engrossed bill
1. Allows a local education agency to independently and directly enter into an
agreement with a regionally accredited nonpublic postsecondary institution
for the provision of dual-enrollment courses.
2. Provides that the provisions of the proposed law shall become effective only
if the legislature provides an appropriation for such purposes.
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