RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 211 (HB 264) 2024 Regular Session Hughes
New law requires completion of a one unit Computer Science course for:
(1)Graduation from a public high school, including charter schools, applicable to
students who enter the ninth grade during the 2026-2027 school year and thereafter.
(2)A high school career diploma. Existing law requires a student to complete one
mathematics elective course, one science elective course, and nine credits in Jump
Start courses to be eligible for a career diploma. New law requires that one of these
11 credits be Computer Science for students who enter the ninth grade during the
2025-2026 school year and thereafter.
(3)A TOPS award. Existing law requires a student to complete one mathematics
elective course, two science elective courses, and two units in either Foreign
Language or Computer Science to be eligible for a TOPS award. New law requires
that one of these five credits be Computer Science for students graduating in the
2028-2029 school year and thereafter.
(4)A TOPS-Tech award. Existing law requires a student to complete one mathematics
elective course, one science elective course, and nine credits in Jump Start courses
to be eligible for a TOPS-Tech award. New law requires that one of these 11 credits
be Computer Science for students graduating in the 2028-2029 school year and
thereafter.
New law requires teacher preparation programs to include instruction on teaching students
computer science and authorizes such instruction to be incorporated into an existing course
of study beginning on June 30, 2026.
New law requires each public school with students in grades six through eight, including
charter schools, to provide instruction in exploratory computer science to its students
beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. Requires each public elementary school to
provide instruction in the basis of computer science and computational thinking beginning
with the 2027-2028 school year. Requires the state Dept. of Education to approve the
computer science courses. Requires the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education
to promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of new law.
Effective August 1, 2024.
(Amends R.S. 17:183.3(B)(2)(b), (c), and (f), 5025(2)(b), (3)(c), (5), and (8), and
5026(A)(2)(c), (3)(b), and (5); Adds R.S. 17:7.2(A)(9), 280.3, 3996(B)(82), 5025(9), 5025.7,
and 5026(F))