SLS 20RS-430 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 221
BY SENATOR FIELDS
EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY. Provides relative to the Louisiana Competency-Based
Education Program. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:24.4(E) and (F)(1)(a) and (c), relative to the Louisiana
3 Competency-Based Education Program; to provide relative to state content standards
4 and related assessments; to provide relative to the development, implementation, and
5 administration of Louisiana Educational Assessment Program tests; and to provide
6 for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 17:24.4(E) and (F)(1)(a) and (c) are hereby amended and reenacted
9 to read as follows:
10 ยง24.4. Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program; statewide standards for
11 required subjects; Louisiana Educational Assessment Program; parish
12 or city school board comprehensive pupil progression plans; waivers
13 * * *
14 E.(1) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop
15 state content standards for required subjects to be taught in the public elementary and
16 secondary schools of this state. State content standards for English language arts and
17 mathematics shall be reviewed and developed as provided in Paragraph (3) of this
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1 Subsection.
2 (2) The state content standards for required subjects shall be implemented by
3 the state Department of Education as approved by the State Board of Elementary and
4 Secondary Education, with recommendations prior to approval and advice from the
5 educational personnel in the public schools and colleges and universities of this state.
6 (3) State content standards for English language arts and mathematics shall
7 be reviewed and developed as follows:
8 (a) Not later than July 1, 2015, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
9 Education shall begin reviewing and developing state content standards in English
10 language arts and mathematics.
11 (b) The board shall hold at least one meeting for such purpose in each
12 Louisiana congressional district.
13 (c) The board shall submit the minutes from each meeting held pursuant to
14 this Paragraph to each member of the legislature not later than thirty days after the
15 meeting.
16 (d) All meetings held by the board for the review and development of the
17 standards shall be subject to the Open Meetings Law.
18 (e) The board shall post the standards on its website not later than February
19 21, 2016, and shall adopt the standards not later than March 4, 2016.
20 (f) The board shall promulgate the standards in accordance with the
21 Administrative Procedure Act prior to implementation of the standards.
22 (4) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the
23 Senate each shall appoint one member from his respective house to serve as a liaison
24 to attend the meetings held pursuant to Paragraph (3) of this Subsection. Each liaison
25 shall report to the speaker or the president, as applicable, on the status of the review
26 and development of the standards as provided in this Subsection.
27 (5) If, pursuant to R.S. 49:970, the governor suspends or vetoes the rules
28 promulgated by the board for the standards as required in Subparagraph (3)(f) of this
29 Subsection, the board shall undertake a review of the standards and make any
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SLS 20RS-430 ORIGINAL
1 necessary revisions and shall commence without delay the process for the
2 promulgation of rules for the revised standards. The legislative liaisons appointed
3 pursuant to Paragraph (4) of this Subsection shall report to the speaker or the
4 president, as applicable, the specific time lines and actions taken by the board in
5 commencing the process for the promulgation of rules for the revised standards.
6 (6)(2) The governing authority of each public elementary and secondary
7 school may develop and implement curriculum, content, and methodology for
8 required subjects for the schools under its jurisdiction in lieu of the curriculum,
9 content, and methodology recommended by the state Department of Education or the
10 State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
11 F.(1)(a) The state Department of Education shall implement the Louisiana
12 Educational Assessment Program with the approval of the State Board of Elementary
13 and Secondary Education.
14 * * *
15 (c) Standards-based assessments in English language arts, mathematics,
16 science, and social studies shall be based on state content standards that represent
17 the knowledge and skills needed for students to successfully transition to
18 postsecondary education and the workplace and rigorous student achievement
19 standards set with reference to test scores of students of the same grade level
20 nationally. The assessments shall be implemented by the State Board of Elementary
21 and Secondary Education. Such tests state Department of Education and shall be
22 administered, at a minimum, in grades three through eleven.
23 * * *
24 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
25 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
26 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
27 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
28 effective on the day following such approval.
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SLS 20RS-430 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 221 Original 2020 Regular Session Fields
Present law provides for the La. Competency-Based Education Program, including the
implementation of statewide content standards for required subjects and the La. Educational
Assessment Program (LEAP). Requires standards-based assessments for required subjects
(English language arts, math, science, and social studies) to be implemented by the State
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and administered in at least grades 3
through 11. Provides that such assessments be based on state content standards and rigorous
student achievement standards comparable to national student achievement levels.
Present law provides that the governing authority of each public elementary and secondary
school may develop and implement curriculum, content, and methodology for required
subjects for the schools under its jurisdiction in lieu of the curriculum, content, and
methodology recommended by the state Department of Education or the State Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education.
Proposed law retains present law provisions with regard to implementation of LEAP tests
and further specifies that state content standards shall represent the knowledge and skills
needed for students to successfully transition to postsecondary education and the workplace.
Proposed law removes outdated provisions regarding development and adoption of English
language arts and mathematics content standards.
Proposed law provides for implementation of the standards-based assessments by the Dept.
of Education instead of BESE.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:24.4(E) and (F)(1)(a) and (c))
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions.