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2021 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 234
BY SENATOR MCMATH
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
SCHOOLS. Provides relative to expanded academic support. (8/1/21)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:100.13 and 3996(B)(59), relative to public elementary and secondary
3 schools; to provide for expanded academic support for certain low-performing
4 students; to provide for supplemental instruction and accelerated learning
5 committees; to provide relative to funding; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:100.13 and 3996(B)(59) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §100.13. Expanded academic support; accelerated learning committees
9 A. For the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, each student in grades
10 four through eight who failed to achieve mastery on any statewide assessment
11 administered pursuant to the state's school and district accountability system
12 during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school year shall be provided expanded
13 academic support.
14 B. The parent or legal guardian of a student identified in need of
15 expanded academic support shall be provided one of the following options:
16 (1) Accelerated instruction as provided in Subsection C of this Section.
17 (2) Prioritized placement in a class taught by a teacher labeled as "highly
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1 effective" pursuant to the state's teacher evaluation system, if a highly effective
2 teacher is available in the school.
3 C. Accelerated instruction provided pursuant to this Section shall:
4 (1) Include targeted instruction in the subject matter areas in which the
5 student has failed to perform satisfactorily.
6 (2) Be provided in addition to the instruction normally provided to
7 students in the grade level in which the student is enrolled.
8 (3) Be provided for not less than thirty total hours during the following
9 summer and school year, and include instruction for not less than once per
10 week.
11 (4) Be designed to assist the student in achieving grade level performance
12 in the applicable subject area.
13 (5) Be taught using high-quality instructional materials that are fully
14 aligned with state content standards and that are designed for supplemental
15 instruction.
16 (6) Be provided to a student individually or in a group of not more than
17 three students, unless the parent or legal guardian of each student in the group
18 authorizes a larger group.
19 (7) Be provided by a person with training in using the instructional
20 materials pursuant to Paragraph (5) of this Subsection and who receives
21 ongoing oversight while providing the accelerated instruction.
22 (8) To the extent possible, be provided by the same person for the
23 entirety of the student's supplemental instruction period.
24 (9) Be provided in accordance with guidelines on research-based best
25 practices and effective accelerated instruction strategies developed and
26 provided by the state Department of Education.
27 D.(1) Each public school shall establish an accelerated learning
28 committee for each student in grades four through eight who failed to achieve
29 mastery on any statewide assessment administered pursuant to the state's school
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1 and district accountability system. The committee shall be composed of the
2 student's parent or legal guardian, the teacher of the subject in which the
3 student has failed to perform satisfactorily, and the school principal or his
4 designee. The student's parent or legal guardian shall be notified of the time and
5 place the committee will meet and the purpose of the committee.
6 (2) A student's accelerated learning committee shall, not later than
7 August thirty-first, develop an accelerated learning plan for the student that
8 provides the accelerated instruction needed to enable the student to perform on
9 grade level by the end of the 2021-2022 school year. The student's parent or
10 legal guardian shall be provided with a copy of the student's accelerated
11 learning plan.
12 E. If a student fails to perform satisfactorily in the same subject matter
13 area on a state assessment administered in the subsequent school year, the
14 accelerated learning committee shall:
15 (1) Identify the reasons the student failed to perform satisfactorily.
16 (2) Determine whether the student needs additional expanded academic
17 support including accelerated instruction, summer learning programs, or other
18 resources to meet the student's academic needs.
19 F.(1) Each city, parish, or other local public school board shall provide
20 a report by June first of 2022 and 2023, to the state Department of Education
21 on the number of students identified as needing expanded academic support, the
22 number of students provided each type of academic support, and the number
23 who failed to achieve mastery on any statewide assessment administered
24 pursuant to the state's school and district accountability system during the
25 2021-2022 school year continuing to need additional academic support.
26 (2) The department shall submit a report to the Senate and House
27 committees on education by July 1, 2022 and 2023, summarizing the
28 information required by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection by school, by school
29 system, and statewide.
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1 G. The determination of whether students are in need of additional
2 expanded academic support shall not be used in evaluating teacher performance
3 or determining school or district accountability scores and letter grades.
4 * * *
5 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
6 * * *
7 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
8 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
9 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
10 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
11 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
12 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
13 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
14 * * *
15 (59) Expanded academic support, R.S. 17:100.13.
16 * * *
17 Section 2. No state funds or obligated federal funds shall be used to implement the
18 provisions of this Act.
The original instrument was prepared by Jeanne Johnston. The following
digest, which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was
prepared by Martha Hess.
DIGEST
SB 234 Reengrossed 2021 Regular Session McMath
Proposed law requires public schools, for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, to
provide expanded academic support to each student in grades four through eight who failed
to achieve mastery on any statewide assessment administered pursuant to the state's school
and district accountability system during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years.
Proposed law allows a student identified as needing expanded academic support to be
provided accelerated instruction or prioritized placement in a class taught by a teacher
labeled as "highly effective" pursuant to the state's teacher evaluation system, if a highly
effective teacher is available in the school.
Proposed law requires that accelerated instruction provided to a student shall:
(1)Include targeted instruction.
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(2)Be provided in addition to the normal instruction provided to a student.
(3)Be provided for not less than 30 total hours.
(4)Be designed to assist the student in achieving grade level performance.
(5)Be taught using high-quality instructional materials that are fully aligned with state
content standards and that are designed for supplemental instruction.
(6)Be provided to a student individually or in a group of not more than three students,
unless the parent or legal guardian of each student in the group authorizes a larger
group.
(7)Be provided by a person with training in using the instructional materials and who
receives ongoing oversight.
(8)Be provided by the same person, to the extent possible.
(9)Be provided in accordance with guidelines on research-based best practices and
effective accelerated instruction strategies developed by the state Department of
Education.
Proposed law requires that an accelerated learning committee be established for each student
identified as needing accelerated instruction composed of the student's parent or legal
guardian, teacher of record, and the school principal or his designee.
Proposed law provides that a student's accelerated learning committee shall develop an
educational plan for the student that provides the accelerated instruction needed to enable
the student to perform on grade level by the end of the subsequent school year and provides
for instructional time and learning materials.
Proposed law requires the accelerated learning committee to determine, at the end of each
school year, whether the student needs additional expanded academic support including
accelerated instruction, summer learning programs, or other resources to meet the student's
academic needs.
Proposed law requires each city, parish, or other local public school board to provide a report
by June 1 of 2022 and 2023, to the state Department of Education (DOE) on the number of
students identified as needing expanded academic support, the number of students provided
each type of academic support, and the number who failed to achieve mastery on any
statewide assessment administered pursuant to the state's school and district accountability
system during the 2021-2022 school year continuing to need additional academic support.
Proposed law requires the DOE to submit a report to the Senate and House committees on
education by July 1, 2022 and 2023, summarizing the information received by the school
boards by school, by school system, and statewide.
Proposed law prohibits the determination of whether students need additional expanded
academic supports to be used in evaluating teacher performance or determining school or
district accountability scores or letter grades.
Proposed law provides that no state funds or obligated federal funds shall be used to
implement the provisions of proposed law.
Effective August 1, 2021.
(Adds R.S. 17:100.13 and 3996(B)(59))
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Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
original bill
1. Limit duration of program to two years.
2. Clarify terminology.
3. Provide for applicability to charter schools.
4. Prohibit determination of whether students need additional expanded
academic supports in evaluating teachers or determining school or district
accountability scores and letter grades.
5. Provide for reporting requirements.
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Finance to the
engrossed bill
1. Provides that no state funds or obligated federal funds shall be used to
implement the provisions of proposed law.
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions.