§10.1. School and district accountability system; purpose; responsibilities of state board

A. It is the purpose of this Section to:

(1) Provide for the development and implementation of a school and district accountability system which requires and supports student achievement in each public school.

(2) Provide assurance to the citizens that the quality of education in each public school is monitored and maintained at levels essential for each student to receive a minimum foundation of education.

(3) Provide clear standards and expectations for schools and school systems so that assessment of their effectiveness will be understood.

(4) Provide information that will assist schools and school systems in order that energies and resources may be focused on student academic achievement.

B. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, hereafter referred to as the "state board", shall provide for a statewide system of accountability for schools and school districts based on student achievement and minimum standards for the approval of schools pursuant to R.S. 17:10. Beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, such system shall be based, in part, on growth in student achievement using a value-added assessment model as determined by the state board. The program shall include, at a minimum, clear and appropriate standards for schools and school districts, indicators for the assessment of schools and school districts, student achievement baselines, student growth targets, and appropriate minimum levels of student achievement for each public school and school district, rewards and corrective actions, specific intervals for assessment and reassessment of schools and school districts, a review process for evaluating growth targets, and technical assistance.

C. The state board shall develop and adopt a policy to invalidate student achievement growth data using a value-added assessment model for any school year in which there is a natural disaster or any other unexpected event that results in the temporary closure of schools.

D.(1) The state board shall, by rule, define "financially at risk" as a status of any city, parish, or other local public school board the unresolved finding of which subjects the school system and its board to the provisions of Chapter 9B of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 regarding the judicial appointment of a fiscal administrator.

(2) Each city, parish, or other local public school board shall be notified on a regular basis by the state Department of Education of its status related to the elements of the definition of financially at risk.

E. The state board shall not use any performance data or indicator, including student academic achievement, test scores, attendance rates, dropout rates, or completion rates, related to students enrolled in an alternative school or educational program operated within a juvenile residential center, juvenile detention center, or any facility under the jurisdiction of the office of juvenile justice in the calculation of any school or district performance score or measure for the city, parish, or other local public school system within the boundaries of which such facility is located.

F. In addition to any other performance-related labels or designations assigned to public schools and school districts pursuant to the school and district accountability system, the state board, in consultation with parents, teachers, school administrators, and other education stakeholders, shall develop a letter grade system reflective of school and district performance that shall include but not necessarily be limited to the following:

(1)(a) Assignment of a letter grade to each public elementary and secondary school and school district that is based upon the current method of determining school and district performance scores.

(b) Any school that has been labeled academically unacceptable shall be assigned a grade of "F".

(2) Inclusion of the letter grade assigned to each public school and school district in the school report cards compiled by the Department of Education and distributed to parents and in any public release of school and district performance scores.

(3) Creation of an honor roll which recognizes all high-performing schools and high schools with exemplary graduation rates as determined by the state board, which shall also be made public when information relative to school and district performance scores and letter grades are released.

G.(1)(a) Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, for a school that establishes, maintains, or expands a foreign language immersion program or proceeds to earn or maintain certification of a foreign language immersion program pursuant to R.S. 17:273.2 and for a school that establishes, maintains, or expands any other program the board deems appropriate, the state board shall include a component in the school and district accountability system to annually award points to the school's annual performance score.

(b) The number of points awarded shall be subject to approval by the state board and in accordance with applicable federal law.

(2) The state board shall not prohibit a school from annually earning points in the school and district accountability system for maintaining such a program that meets performance and quality standards established by the state board.

(3) The state board shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Subsection.

(4) For purposes of this Subsection, "foreign language immersion program" means any type of dual language immersion program in French or Spanish.

H.(1) For the 2017-2018 school year, the state board shall publish the school and district performance scores and letter grades calculated pursuant to the rules in effect for the reporting of results for the 2016-2017 school year and those calculated pursuant to the current rules in effect for the reporting of results for the 2017-2018 school year. The performance scores and letter grades derived from using both methodologies shall be displayed side by side to facilitate easy comparison.

(2) For the 2018-2019 school year and beyond, whenever the state board makes any significant change in the criteria, methodology, or manner of calculating and determining the school and district performance scores and letter grades that could result in a significant number of schools or districts experiencing a change in letter grade, the board shall consider whether to publish the performance score and letter grade that would have been calculated and reported, had the change not been implemented.

I.(1) The superintendent, school principal, or other school leader, or his designee, of a public school that is required pursuant to rules adopted by the state board to develop an academic improvement plan shall, within sixty days of approval of such plan by the state Department of Education, make a presentation on the approved plan during at least one public meeting held at the applicable school. Notice of the meeting shall be provided to the parent or legal guardian of each student enrolled in the school at least one week prior to the date of the meeting.

(2) The presentation shall include:

(a) The school and student performance data that caused the department to identify the school as being in need of improvement.

(b) A detailed overview of the improvement plan.

(c) Timelines for implementation of the plan and attainment of performance goals.

(d) Implications of the plan for students, families, and educators.

(3) The superintendent, school principal, or other school leader, or his designee, shall present an annual update, in the manner provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, until such time as the state department no longer requires the school to have an academic improvement plan.

(4) The department shall annually publish a list of schools with such plans on its website.

Acts 1997, No. 478, §1, eff. June 30, 1997; Acts 2001, No. 1137, §1; Acts 2005, No. 7, §1, eff. May 27, 2005; Acts 2010, No. 54, §1, eff. May 27, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 122, §1; Acts 2010, No. 718, §1; Acts 2017, No. 394, §1, eff. June 23, 2017; Acts 2018, No. 522, §1, eff. May 23, 2018; Acts 2018, No. 555, §1; Acts 2018, No. 622, §1.