2021 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 234
BY SENATOR MCMATH
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
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 years shall be provided expanded
13 academic support.
14 B. Each city, parish, or other local public school board shall develop an
15 educational plan and supporting budget to provide expanded academic support
16 to students identified pursuant to Subsection A of this Section using federal
17 funds provided for educational relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such plan
18 shall be submitted to the state Department of Education not later than
19 September 30, 2021 for review and approval.
20 (1) Educational plans shall adhere to state board rules and regulations
21 pertaining to pupil progression and individual academic improvement plans.
22 (2) Supporting budgets shall adhere to all applicable federal and state
ACT No. 294
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1 regulations, including but not limited to those enacted pursuant to the federal
2 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
3 C. The department shall review each plan submitted for compliance with
4 applicable federal and state regulations, including state board regulations
5 pursuant to pupil progression and individual academic improvement plans. The
6 department shall provide feedback to the local board if necessary to bring the
7 plan into compliance with applicable regulations.
8 D. If, following timelines set forth by the department, a city, parish, or
9 other local public school board fails to submit a revised plan that complies with
10 applicable regulations, the department shall reject such plan and shall require
11 the board to adhere to the requirements set forth in Subsection E of this Section.
12 E. The parent or legal guardian of a student identified in need of
13 expanded academic support shall be provided one of the following options:
14 (1) Accelerated instruction as provided in Subsections F through H of
15 this Section.
16 (2) Prioritized placement in a class taught by a teacher labeled as "highly
17 effective" pursuant to the state's teacher evaluation system, if a highly effective
18 teacher is available in the school.
19 F. Accelerated instruction provided pursuant to this Section shall:
20 (1) Include targeted instruction in the subject matter areas in which the
21 student has failed to perform satisfactorily.
22 (2) Be provided in addition to the instruction normally provided to
23 students in the grade level in which the student is enrolled.
24 (3) Be provided for not less than thirty total hours during the following
25 summer and school year, and include instruction for not less than once per
26 week.
27 (4) Be designed to assist the student in achieving grade level performance
28 in the applicable subject area.
29 (5) Be taught using high-quality instructional materials that are fully
30 aligned with state content standards and that are designed for supplemental
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1 instruction.
2 (6) Be provided to a student individually or in a group of not more than
3 twelve students, unless the parent or legal guardian of each student in the group
4 authorizes a larger group.
5 (7) Be provided by a person with training in using the instructional
6 materials pursuant to Paragraph (5) of this Subsection and who receives
7 ongoing oversight while providing the accelerated instruction.
8 (8) To the extent possible, be provided by the same person for the
9 entirety of the student's supplemental instruction period.
10 (9) Be provided in accordance with guidelines on research-based best
11 practices and effective accelerated instruction strategies developed and
12 provided by the state Department of Education.
13 G.(1) Each public school shall establish an accelerated learning
14 committee for each student in grades four through eight who failed to achieve
15 mastery on any statewide assessment administered pursuant to the state's school
16 and district accountability system. The committee shall be composed of the
17 student's parent or legal guardian, the teacher of the subject in which the
18 student has failed to perform satisfactorily, and the school principal or his
19 designee. The student's parent or legal guardian shall be notified of the time and
20 place the committee will meet and the purpose of the committee.
21 (2) A student's accelerated learning committee shall, not later than
22 August thirty-first, develop an accelerated learning plan for the student that
23 provides the accelerated instruction needed to enable the student to perform on
24 grade level by the end of the 2021-2022 school year. The student's parent or
25 legal guardian shall be provided with a copy of the student's accelerated
26 learning plan.
27 H. If a student fails to perform satisfactorily in the same subject matter
28 area on a state assessment administered in the subsequent school year, the
29 accelerated learning committee shall:
30 (1) Identify the reasons the student failed to perform satisfactorily.
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1 (2) Determine whether the student needs additional expanded academic
2 support including accelerated instruction, summer learning programs, or other
3 resources to meet the student's academic needs.
4 I.(1) Each city, parish, or other local public school board shall provide
5 a report by June first of 2022 and 2023, to the state Department of Education
6 on the number of students identified as needing expanded academic support, the
7 number of students provided each type of academic support, and the number
8 who failed to achieve mastery on any statewide assessment administered
9 pursuant to the state's school and district accountability system during the
10 2021-2022 school year continuing to need additional academic support.
11 (2) The department shall submit a report to the Senate and House
12 committees on education by July first of 2022 and 2023, summarizing the
13 information required by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection by school, by school
14 system, and statewide.
15 J. The determination of whether students are in need of additional
16 expanded academic support shall not be used in evaluating teacher performance
17 or determining school or district accountability scores and letter grades.
18 * * *
19 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
20 * * *
21 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
22 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
23 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
24 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
25 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
26 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
27 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
28 * * *
29 (59) Expanded academic support, R.S. 17:100.13.
30 * * *
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1 Section 2. No state funds or obligated federal funds shall be used to implement the
2 provisions of this Act.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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