HLS 19RS-633 ENGROSSED
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 266
BY REPRESENTATIVE EMERSON
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
STUDENT/ASSESSMENT: Provides relative to remediation programs and requirements
for pupil progression
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:24.4(G)(1) and (4), relative to pupil progression; to provide
3 relative to required remediation programs for student promotion; to repeal provisions
4 relative to summer school remediation programs; to require pupil progression plans
5 to be made available to the public; and to provide for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:24.4(G)(1) and (4) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
8follows:
9 ยง24.4. Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program; statewide standards for
10 required subjects; Louisiana Educational Assessment Program; parish or city
11 school board comprehensive pupil progression plans; waivers
12 * * *
13 G.(1) Each city and parish school board shall appoint a committee which
14 shall be representative of the parents of the school district under the authority of such
15 school board. Each committee shall participate and have input in the development
16 of the pupil progression plans provided for in this Section. Each parish or city school
17 board shall develop and submit to the state Department of Education for approval by
18 the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and make publicly available
19 a pupil progression plan which shall be in accordance with the requirements of this
20 Section and be based upon student achievement, performance, and proficiency on
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HB NO. 266
1 tests required by this Section. Beginning with the 1998-1999 school year and
2 thereafter, approval by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall
3 not be required for a pupil progression plan.
4 * * *
5 (4)(a) The governing body of each school with students required by law or
6 a rule of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to participate in the
7 Louisiana Educational Assessment Program shall develop a policy with the
8 participation and input of the committee provided for in this Subsection which shall,
9 at a minimum, conform to any rule adopted by the State Board of Elementary and
10 Secondary Education regarding pupil promotion. Following this policy, each teacher
11 shall, on an individualized basis, determine promotion or placement of each student.
12 Each such governing body may review promotion and placement decisions in order
13 to ensure compliance with its established policy. Review may be initiated by the
14 governing body, the superintendent, or a student's parent or guardian. Those students
15 who fail to meet required achievement levels on the state administered standards-
16 based assessments of the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program shall be
17 offered education programs designed to accelerate progress that comply with
18 regulations adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
19 Such programs shall include, at a minimum, the offering of a summer school
20 remediation program to for all students who do not meet the minimum achievement
21 level necessary to be fully promoted without required academic interventions to the
22 fifth or ninth grade as established by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
23 Education rule.
24 (b) Summer school remediation programs as required in this Section shall
25 meet minimum requirements as established by rule of the State Board of Elementary
26 and Secondary Education and shall be funded in part with a state appropriation
27 specifically for such purpose and in part with other funds available to each governing
28 body of schools required by this Paragraph to provide summer school remediation
29 programs. The Department of Education may allocate and disburse the money
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HB NO. 266
1 appropriated for summer school remediation programs to such governing bodies at
2 the time the number of students who failed to meet the minimum required
3 achievement level is known, rather than on a cost reimbursement basis once the
4 summer school program is complete.
5 (c) Local school boards may require students who fail to meet the required
6 achievement level on a test necessary for promotion to the next grade to attend a
7 remediation program, including requiring attending the summer remediation
8 program, but shall exempt from such summer program any student whose parent or
9 guardian signs a form which states, at a minimum, all of the following:
10 (i) That such parent or guardian understands that the student has failed to
11 meet the required achievement level for promotion to the next grade.
12 (ii) That a summer school remediation program is being offered by the
13 district to improve the skills of students who have failed to meet the required
14 achievement level.
15 (iii) That the parent or guardian will take the responsibility of remediation
16 to help the student improve his skills necessary for meeting the required achievement
17 level on the test.
18 (iv) That the student will not be fully promoted to the next grade level unless
19 a retest is taken and the student obtains the required achievement level.
20 * * *
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 266 Engrossed 2019 Regular Session Emerson
Abstract: Relative to pupil progression, deletes requirements for summer remediation
programs and requires that pupil progression plans be made publicly available.
Present law provides relative to the Competency-Based Education Program. Present law
establishes, as part of the program, a program of academic testing of students, the La.
Educational Assessment Program (LEAP). Requires that each local school board implement
the LEAP tests and establish a policy relative to promoting a student from 4th to 5th grade
or from 8th to 9th grade if the student fails to achieve the required proficiency on certain
LEAP tests.
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HB NO. 266
Requires school boards to develop pupil progression plans based on achievement,
performance, and proficiency on tests required by present law. Proposed law requires that
the progression plans be made publicly available.
Present law requires that students who fail to meet required achievement standards be
offered education programs designed to accelerate progress. Present law provides that, at
a minimum, such education programs shall include summer school remediation programs
for students who cannot be fully promoted to the 5th or 9th grade.
Proposed law retains present law remediation requirement but removes requirement that the
remediation be in summer and applies it to students who cannot be promoted without
required academic intervention instead of to students who cannot be fully promoted.
Present law, relative to summer school remediation programs, requires that they meet
minimum requirements as established by BESE and provides relative to their funding.
Authorizes Dept. of Education to allocate money to governing bodies at the time the number
of students who failed to meet the achievement level is known rather than on a cost
reimbursement basis. Authorizes a local school board to require attendance at summer
school unless the parent or guardian signs a form opting out of summer school. Proposed
law repeals present law.
(Amends R.S. 17:24.4(G)(1) and (4))
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