2013 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 17 - Education
RS 17:7 - Duties, functions, and responsibilities of board

§7. Duties, functions, and responsibilities of board

In addition to the authorities granted by R.S. 17:6 and any powers, duties, and responsibilities vested by any other applicable laws, the board shall:

(1) Pay the per diem and expenses of the board and its members and the salaries and expenses, including but not necessarily restricted to facilities, equipment, and supplies, of its staff out of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the operating and administrative expenses of the board.

(2)(a) Adopt a minimum foundation program and adopt a formula for the equitable allocation of minimum foundation funds to parish and city school systems. In adopting such program and formula, funding shall be at the pupil-teacher ratio of twenty students to one classroom teacher for kindergarten through grade three and twenty-five students to one classroom teacher for grades four through six, or as provided for in the general appropriation bill with the ultimate goal of twenty students to one classroom teacher for kindergarten through grade three and twenty-five students to one classroom teacher for grades four through six. However, if less than the total amount of funds necessary to implement the pupil-teacher ratios provided herein is appropriated in the general appropriation bill, the money appropriated on the basis of the regular education portion of the minimum foundation formula shall be applied first to meeting the ratios established for classroom teachers for kindergarten and then for classroom teachers to meet the ratios for each succeeding grade. Any additional classroom teaching positions generated in meeting the ratio requirements shall not be used in computing authorized administrative position allotments. The board shall adopt such program and formula for each ensuing fiscal year in a timely manner so that the program and formula may be submitted to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget in accordance with R.S. 17:22(2)(d).

(b) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall conduct an extensive study and evaluation of the formula used to determine the cost of a minimum foundation program of education in all public elementary and secondary schools and to equitably allocate the funds to parish and city school systems. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall report the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of its study in writing to the House and Senate Committees on Education not later than February 15, 1989. The study and evaluation shall address but need not be limited to the following issues:

(i) Recommended components of a minimum foundation program of education, both regular and special, for public school students from prekindergarten through high school graduation.

(ii) The adequacy of the current formula and program in achieving the education goal established in Article VIII, Preamble, of the Constitution of Louisiana, and recommended improvements as appropriate.

(iii) The adequacy of the current formula and program in encouraging and ensuring the proper management of school dollars, and recommended improvements as appropriate.

(iv) The adequacy of the current formula and program in providing accountability for student achievement, and recommended improvements as appropriate.

(v) The adequacy of the current formula and program in considering factors of local financial support, and recommended improvements as appropriate.

(vi) The adequacy of the current formula and program in providing funding equity among the sixty-six local public school systems, and recommended improvements as appropriate.

(vii) Recommended changes and revisions in the formula and program so as to maximize formula support of classroom costs and minimize formula funding of nonclassroom costs.

(viii) Recommended changes and revisions to achieve, as a minimum, the pupil-teacher ratios and class sizes established by law.

(ix) Recommended changes and revisions to provide a mechanism for special funding for students found to be educationally at-risk.

(x) Recommended changes and revisions to achieve more creativity, flexibility, and autonomy at the local level in providing education services.

(xi) Recommended changes and revisions to hold local school boards accountable for results in the delivery of education services.

(xii) Recommended changes and revisions to reward local school systems for positive results and improvements in the delivery of education services.

(xiii) The estimated fiscal effect on each of the individual local school systems of each proposed change, modification, or revision.

(c) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall be responsible for all planning functions for the Department of Education, including collection, analysis and interpretation of all data, information, test results, evaluations, and other indicators that are used to formulate policy, identify areas of concern and need, and serve as the basis for short-range and long-range planning. Such planning shall include assembling data, conducting appropriate studies and surveys, and sponsoring research and development activities designed to provide information about educational needs and the effect of alternative educational practices.

(d) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall establish within the Department of Education, office of management and finance, a program of fiscal accountability for purposes of providing an audit, evaluation, and a computerization of the data submitted by local school systems and used in the determination of the cost of the Minimum Foundation Program for public elementary and secondary education and in the equitable distribution of funds provided for the Minimum Foundation Program for public elementary and secondary education. The board shall annually report, not later than March fifteenth, the findings of the audit and evaluation, with recommendations for improvement, to the committees on education of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The audit and evaluation shall consider the minimum performance standards established by the legislature, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department of Education.

(e) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop and implement an integrated information system for educational management. The system shall support, as feasible, the management decisions to be made in each office of the state Department of Education and at the individual school and district levels. Similar data elements among offices and levels shall be compatible. The system shall be based on an overall conceptual design; the information needed for such decisions, including fiscal, student, program, personnel, facility, community, evaluation, and other relevant data; and the relationship between cost and effectiveness. The system shall be managed and administered by the state superintendent of education and shall include a district subsystem component to be administered at the local school system level, with input to the state level. Each local school system with a unique management information system shall assure that compatibility exists between its unique system and the district component of the state system to the extent that all data required as input to the state system shall be made available in the appropriate input format.

(f)(i) In addition to any other requirements of the minimum foundation program formula as most recently adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and approved by the legislature, the state board, beginning with the 2010-2011 school year and continuing thereafter, shall require each city, parish, or other local public school board to expend funds generated by applying the weighted factors contained in such formula for at-risk students, career and technical education course units, special education students other than gifted and talented students, and gifted and talented students on personnel, professional services, instructional materials, equipment, and supplies that serve the unique needs of students who generate such funds and to submit annually a written report to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education that details the types of activities on which these funds were expended to serve the needs of the weighted students at all schools that serve such students. The information contained in such annual report shall be published on the state Department of Education website in an easily understandable format.

(ii) Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year and continuing thereafter, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall offer guidance and technical assistance to each city, parish, or other local public school board in making strategic fiscal decisions that promote improved student achievement. Such guidance and technical assistance shall include but not be limited to the identification of best practices in school finance that promote efficiency, economies of scale, and the use of comparative data to improve spending and educational outcomes.

(iii) Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year and continuing thereafter, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall annually publish revenue and expenditure data, including but not limited to the allocation and expenditure of funds generated by the minimum foundation program, local revenues, and federal grants, for each city, parish, or other local public school board by district and by school level, to the extent possible, in an easily understandable format on the state Department of Education website. Such data shall include but not be limited to comparative per pupil expenses reported by the school system for personnel, transportation, and other major categories of common expenditures as determined by the state Department of Education.

(iv) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall establish a system for the uniform collection and reporting of all data required by this Subparagraph.

(v) For the purposes of this Subparagraph, the term "city, parish, or other local public school board" shall mean the governing authority of any public elementary or secondary school.

(3) Exercise budgetary responsibility and allocate for expenditure by the schools and programs under its jurisdiction all monies appropriated or otherwise made available for purposes of the board and of such school and programs.

(4) Prescribe and adopt free school books and other materials of instruction for the children of this state at the elementary and secondary levels and all other schools and programs under its jurisdiction for which the legislature provides funds, in accordance with law.

(5)(a) Approve courses of study and prepare and adopt rules and regulations for the discipline of students and the governance of the public elementary and secondary schools and other public schools and programs under its jurisdiction, which shall not be inconsistent with law and which shall be enforced by the city, parish, and other local public school boards and the local school superintendents; however, the board shall have no control over the business affairs of a city, parish, or other local public school board or the selection or removal of its officers and employees.

(b)(i) Prepare and adopt rules and guidelines for the appropriate use of seclusion, physical restraint, and mechanical restraint of students with exceptionalities as defined in R.S. 17:1942, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(ii) The rules and guidelines adopted pursuant to Item (i) of this Subparagraph shall not be applicable to a student who has been deemed to be gifted or talented unless the student has been identified as also having a disability.

(6)(a)(i) Prescribe the qualifications and provide for the certification of teachers in accordance with applicable law, which qualifications and requirements shall be such as to insure that certification shall be a reliable indicator of the minimum current ability and proficiency of the teacher to educate at the grade level and in the subject(s) to which the teacher is assigned. These qualifications and requirements shall be established and shall be effective on and after April 1, 1978.

(ii) Additionally, whenever there is a qualification or condition established by law or board policy, or both, that a teacher holding a regular teacher certificate which is valid for three years must comply with, in order for the teacher to be issued a permanent regular teacher certificate, and it is not possible for a teacher at a nonpublic school to comply with such qualification or condition due to the teacher being employed at a nonpublic school, the board shall establish, effective for the 1998-1999 school year and thereafter, an alternative method or process by which the nonpublic school teacher may meet such qualification or condition. A teacher employed in a nonpublic school who meets the qualifications or conditions pursuant to the alternative method or process established pursuant to this Item shall be issued a permanent regular teacher certificate which shall be valid for all purposes in this state and under all the same conditions as if it had been issued to a teacher who complied with the qualifications or conditions as otherwise established by law or board policy. Prior to establishing an alternative method or process, the board shall direct the nonpublic school commission to formulate, develop, and recommend to the board the alternative method or process by which the nonpublic school teacher may meet the qualification or condition and the method or process established by the board shall be consistent with the recommendations of the nonpublic school commission.

(b)(i)(aa) On and after September 15, 1978, any person applying for initial certification as a teacher in a public school shall have passed satisfactorily an examination, which shall include English proficiency, pedagogical knowledge, and knowledge in his area of specialization, as a prerequisite to the granting of such certificate.

(bb) On and after September 15, 1981, any person certified to teach in another state who applies for certification to teach in the public schools of Louisiana shall be required to pass satisfactorily the examination which is administered in accordance with the provisions of this Paragraph as a prerequisite to the granting of such certification. However, a teacher certified in another state who meets all other requirements for a Louisiana certificate granted to out-of-state graduates except for the provisions of this Item shall be granted a three-year nonrenewable provisional certificate to be used while said teacher completes the requirements set forth in this Paragraph.

(cc) Any teacher who holds a valid out-of-state teaching certificate, has at least three years of successful teaching experience in another state as determined by the board, and has completed one year of employment as a teacher in the Louisiana public school system or as a teacher in a Louisiana nonpublic school approved by the board as provided by law shall not be required to take the examination administered in accordance with the provisions of this Paragraph or to submit any examination scores from any examination previously taken in another state as a prerequisite to the granting of certification in Louisiana, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

(aaa) The teacher meets all other requirements for a Louisiana certificate as may be required by law and board policy.

(bbb) The local superintendent or his designee of the public school system employing the teacher, the local superintendent of the school system operating the nonpublic school employing the teacher, if applicable, or, if not applicable, the principal of the approved nonpublic school employing the teacher has recommended the teacher for employment for the following school year subject to the receipt of a valid Louisiana teaching certificate.

(ccc) The local superintendent or his designee of the public school system employing the teacher, the local superintendent of the school system operating the nonpublic school employing the teacher, if applicable, or, if not applicable, the principal of the approved nonpublic school employing the teacher has requested, on behalf of the teacher, that the teacher be granted a valid Louisiana teaching certificate.

(dd) The examination shall be administered to each student in a teacher education program at a public college or university in Louisiana prior to graduation and shall be administered to teachers certified in other states at any time such examination is offered. The board shall prescribe other qualifications and requirements and shall consider other factors.

(ii) The superintendent of education shall administer the aforementioned policy of the board. In such administration of the policy, the superintendent shall choose the appropriate testing instrument, shall conduct all necessary research to validate the applicability of the instrument to teacher education programs within the state of Louisiana, and shall conduct all necessary research to determine the level at which the examination is satisfactorily completed. During the conduct of the research and in the preparation of the testing instrument, the superintendent shall meet with and consider the suggestions of individual classroom teachers, representatives of teacher organizations, deans of education of the public colleges and universities of the state, and representatives of each of the governing boards for higher education.

(iii) Any applicant seeking certification may apply for and take any required test or tests without limitation as to the frequency of applications or testing.

(iv) The state superintendent of education shall annually submit a report to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education relative to the examination administered pursuant to this Paragraph. Such report shall include but not be limited to the following: the number of persons to whom the examination was administered; the educational background and teaching experience of such persons; the number of persons successfully completing the examination; the effectiveness of the examination; and any suggestions for improving the examination.

(c) Any person who fails to successfully pass the original examination required by Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph, but who meets all other certification requirements and who scored within ten percent of the score required for passage on the original examination selected by the state superintendent of education, may be employed for a period not to exceed one year in the following manner:

(i) The state superintendent of education, upon receipt of a signed affidavit by the president and superintendent of the school board to which such person has applied for employment that there is no other applicant available for employment for a specific teaching position who has met the requirements of this Section, may issue an emergency teaching permit to such person. Such permit shall be in effect for not more than one year but may be renewed twice. Such renewal of the permit shall be accomplished in the same manner as the granting of the original permit. The granting of such emergency teaching permit shall in no way affect, reduce, or waive the requirement that the person successfully complete the aforementioned examination. At any time the person successfully passes the examination, he may be employed on a permanent basis.

(ii) The period herein provided for the employment of a teacher with an emergency teaching permit granted under the provisions of this Paragraph shall not count toward tenure.

(d) Any examination selected by the state superintendent of education which would supercede the examination currently utilized pursuant to Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph, and any criteria established to determine the level at which either the examination currently used or any examination selected to supercede it is satisfactorily completed shall be approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

(e) The board shall not adopt any policy, rule, regulation, or other measure that limits or restricts the number of times a temporary employment permit may be issued to any teacher who meets all other requirements of current board policy, has applied for employment for a specific teaching position for which position there is no other applicant available for employment who has met the requirements of this Paragraph, has the recommendation of the superintendent of the school system employing such teacher, and has had a successful local evaluation for the previous four years prior to such issuance. Any such policy, rule, regulation, or other measure in effect on July 1, 1993 shall be null and void.

(f)(i) The board shall establish an appeals process which provides for the circumstances under which an applicant who has been denied certification may appeal such denial to the Teacher Certification Appeals Council, referred to in this Subparagraph as the "council".

(ii) The council shall consist of nine members recommended by the state superintendent of education and approved by the board as follows:

(aa) Three council members shall be college of education faculty members, each of whom shall represent a postsecondary education institution participating in both traditional and alternative certification programs. The Louisiana Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Louisiana Association of Teacher Educators shall each submit a list of three nominees. The superintendent shall recommend one college of education faculty member from each such list.

(bb) Three council members shall be classroom teachers. The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, the Louisiana Association of Educators, and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers shall each submit a list of three nominees. The superintendent shall recommend one classroom teacher from each such list.

(cc) Three council members shall be certified school or system administrators. The Louisiana Association of School Executives, the Louisiana State Association of School Personnel Administrators, and the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents shall each submit a list of three nominees. The superintendent shall recommend one administrator from each such list.

(iii) Council members shall serve four-year terms after initial terms as provided in this Item. As determined by lot at the first meeting of the council, initial terms shall be as follows:

(aa) One college of education faculty member, one classroom teacher, and one certified school or system administrator shall serve an initial term of two years.

(bb) One college of education faculty member, one classroom teacher, and one certified school or system administrator shall serve an initial term of three years.

(cc) One college of education faculty member, one classroom teacher, and one certified school or system administrator shall serve an initial term of four years.

(iv) A majority of council members, not including vacancies, shall constitute a quorum. All actions of the council shall be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting.

(v) The council shall evaluate the appeals of persons seeking Louisiana certification, including a review of the documents and transcripts of appellants, and shall submit a written report of its findings to the board. A decision of the council shall be a final decision.

(vi) The council shall not consider appeals of persons who are nondegreed, lack any examination scores required by the board for initial certification or administrative certification, or lack fifty percent or more of required course work. The council shall not consider requests to waive state or federal statutes pertaining to teacher certification.

(vii) The board shall establish by rules and regulations, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, all guidelines and procedures for carrying out the provisions of this Subparagraph.

(g) The board shall develop and implement policies relative to the certification of foreign associate teachers that include but shall not be limited to the following components:

(i) The designation by the board of the appropriate foreign language associate teaching certificate to be granted to teachers who meet the certification requirements of the Foreign Associate Teacher Program.

(ii) Procedures for foreign language associate teaching certificate renewal upon the teacher's completion of a required number of continuing learning units as determined by the board.

(iii) Testing requirements for teachers holding certain foreign language associate teaching certificates who are pursuing a regular teaching certificate.

(iv) The expansion of languages covered under the foreign language associate teaching certificate that will allow for growth of the Foreign Associate Teacher Program.

(v) Support for the addition of a foreign language indicator to the list of critical certification shortage areas in the revised Teacher Preparation Accountability System to encourage universities to increase the number of foreign language teachers who complete teacher preparation programs.

(7) Adopt minimum standards for the approval of each public elementary and secondary school and special school in the state under its jurisdiction.

(8) Except as otherwise provided by law, approve private and proprietary schools in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 17:10 and any other applicable laws.

(9) Meet with the Board of Regents, upon its call, to coordinate programs of public elementary, secondary, vocational-technical, career, and higher education.

(10) Repealed by Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 151, §3, eff. July 1, 1999.

(11)(a) Adopt and provide for the implementation of a program under which students enrolled or enrolling in public schools in this state are tested for dyslexia and related disorders as may be necessary. Such program shall conform to the criteria and minimum standards established by the Council for Learning Disabilities. The program also shall provide that upon the request of a parent, student, school nurse, classroom teacher, or other school personnel who has reason to believe that a student has a need to be tested for dyslexia, such student shall be referred to the school building level committee for review and referral to pupil appraisal for appropriate services.

(b) In accordance with the program adopted by the board, the city, and parish school boards shall provide remediation for children with dyslexia or related disorders in an appropriate multi-sensory, intensive phonetic, synthetic to analytic phonics, linguistic, meaning based, systematic, language based regular education program. For those students who are not dyslexic and who do not qualify for special education services, other appropriate programs shall be offered to remediate their particular physical or educational disorders.

(c) The State Department of Education, by not later than January 31, 1991, shall make recommendations to the board for the delivery and funding of services to students who are identified as dyslexic, but do not qualify for services under the criteria of eligibility of Bulletin 1508, the Pupil Appraisal Handbook.

(d) For the purposes of this Paragraph:

(i) "Dyslexia" shall be defined as a language processing disorder which may be manifested by difficulty processing expressive or receptive, oral or written language despite adequate intelligence, educational exposure, and cultural opportunity. Specific manifestations may occur in one or more areas, including difficulty with the alphabet, reading comprehension, writing, and spelling.

(ii) "Related disorders" shall include disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.

(12)(a) Develop, adopt, and by not later than the second semester of the 1991-1992 school year, provide for the implementation of a firearm familiarity and safety pilot program for students in grades six, seven, and eight. The purpose of the program shall be to promote the protection and safety of children and the program shall be integrated within the current curriculum of such students. All instruction and related supplies and materials shall be on an age-appropriate basis.

(b) The firearm familiarity and safety pilot program shall be developed by the board based on recommendations of the secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries or his designee and of the state superintendent of education. The pilot program shall be made available in not less than twenty schools throughout the state and the selection of schools to participate in the pilot program shall include to the extent possible those schools already using related programs and instruction provided by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

(c) The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to provide the firearm familiarity and safety pilot program.

(13)(a) In the development of course outlines or other suggested or required curricular or teaching material for use in middle or high schools for courses which include material related to family life, including but not limited to Family Life and Consumer Science Education, include the topic of adoption awareness as provided in this Paragraph.

(b) "Adoption awareness" as used in this Paragraph means specific instruction on the benefits of adoption for families wishing to add a child, for potential adoptees, and for persons who are pregnant or who have a child for whom they are unable to care.

(14)(a) Prepare and adopt by July 1, 1992, course requirements for high school graduation which are sufficiently flexible to prepare students for, and to permit them to choose to pursue preparation for, the workplace or entrance into an institution of higher education. Prior to adoption, the board shall report in writing to the House and Senate Committees on Education on any proposed program developed to implement the provisions of this Paragraph in order that the committees may have the opportunity to review and comment on any such program prior to its implementation. The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of each student shall be provided information as required in R.S. 17:175(C)(1)(d). Such requirements for high school graduation shall include the study of science and mathematical skills, including algebraic concepts, in either a functional and applied format or in a theoretical format. Any such functional and applied format or theoretical format shall provide instruction in concepts sufficient to prepare a student to be successful on any test required in R.S. 17:24.4 administered to high school students.

(b) Nothing in this Paragraph shall be construed to permit or require tracking of students or authorizing a system of dual diplomas.

(15)(a) Provide guidance to city and parish school boards for delivering appropriate educational services for public school students with identified attention deficit disorders. Any such guidance shall be in accordance with the procedures and requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and subsequent amendments, and shall include procedures for the school building level committee to follow when a request is received from a parent, student, school nurse, classroom teacher, or other school personnel concerning a student who is suspected of or regarded as having an attention deficit disorder.

(b) Students receiving services under the provisions of this Paragraph shall be those students who do not qualify for special educational services under categories such as learning disabled, behavior disordered, and other health impaired, as defined in Bulletin 1508, the Pupil Appraisal Handbook.

(c) The state Department of Education shall provide for:

(i) Statewide training of representatives from public city and parish school systems on meeting the needs of students with attention deficit disorders. Such training shall include identifying characteristics associated with attention deficit disorders, assessment techniques, and developing appropriate accommodations and modifications in home, school, and social environments.

(ii) A request for proposals to be issued to public city and parish school systems no later than August 1, 1992, for four pilot programs for students with attention deficit disorders. The pilot programs shall be selected based on criteria to be established by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and shall include, but not be limited to geographic location, size of the school population, and the existence of established programs for students with attention deficit disorders in local school systems. The pilot program shall begin in the 1992-93 school year and shall be evaluated at the conclusion of such school year for effectiveness in meeting the needs of the students with attention deficit disorders.

(d) The funding for the statewide training program and the four pilot programs shall not exceed a total of ninety-seven thousand dollars. Funds not to exceed six percent of the total program funding shall be allocated to the state Department of Education for evaluation and oversight of the pilot programs.

(16)(a) Develop, adopt, and by not later than the second semester of the 1992-1993 school year, provide for the implementation of a Saturday Academy pilot program for inner-city at risk youth in preschool through grade four. The program shall include but not be limited to the following:

(i) Emphasis on promoting self-esteem.

(ii) Emphasis on basic academic skills.

(iii) Emphasis on individual developmental skills.

(iv) Emphasis on deterring students from substance abuse.

(v) The use of parents, retired teachers, and other persons as volunteer teachers.

(b) The board shall select four parish or city school systems for participation in the program as set forth in this Paragraph. Such program may include the use of any community-based facility provided that the necessary arrangements and agreements are made between all parties involved.

(c) The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to provide for and implement the Saturday Academy pilot program.

(d) The legislature shall appropriate necessary funding for the development and implementation of such pilot program.

(e) In addition to funds made available by the legislature, the board may accept gifts, grants, and donations from whatever sources available for the purposes of this Paragraph.

(17) Repealed by Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 151, §3, eff. July 1, 1999.

(18) Repealed by Acts. 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 41, §2, eff. June 12, 2011.

(19) Repealed by Acts 2012, No. 643, §2.

(20)(a) Subject to the appropriation of funds for this purpose, develop, adopt, and by not later than the beginning of the 1995-1996 school year, provide for implementation by the State Department of Education of an annual math, science, and speech and debate competition financial assistance awards program for eligible teams and individuals from public and board-approved nonpublic secondary schools representing the state of Louisiana at regional or national competitions, or both.

(b) The following guidelines, criteria, and procedures shall apply to the financial assistance awards program provided for by this Paragraph:

(i) Financial assistance awarded pursuant to the provisions of this Paragraph shall be used exclusively for the payment of documented and necessary expenses of eligible public and approved nonpublic secondary school team members or individuals representing the state of Louisiana at math, science, or speech and debate competitions at regional or national levels, or both, including persons designated by the school's governing authority as chaperons or coaches of such team members or individuals.

(ii) For the purposes of this Paragraph, necessary expenses shall mean competition entry fees as well as travel, lodging, subsistence, and incidental costs directly related to participation in math, science, or speech and debate competitions at regional or national levels, or both. Procedures governing expenditures for travel, subsistence, lodging, and incidental costs shall be consistent with travel regulations prescribed by the division of administration for state executive branch employees.

(iii) A team may consist of persons representing one secondary school as the local or district level winner or persons who are individual winners from the state at large who have won in-state local or district level competitions and who will be competing in the same regional or national competition, or both. The board shall provide by rule for the method of determining the appropriate school governing authority to represent the interests of a team composed of persons who are individual winners from the state at large who have won in-state local or district level competitions and who will be competing in the same regional or national competition, or both.

(iv) Each winning team or individual winner from the state at large seeking a financial assistance award shall identify a sponsor who shall be under the auspices of the governing authority of the public or approved nonpublic secondary school.

(v) An application for a financial assistance award shall be submitted by the governing authority of the public or approved nonpublic secondary school acting on behalf of the sponsor of a team or individual participating at a math, science, or speech and debate competition at the regional or national level, or both.

(vi) An application form shall include general information on the individual competitor or individual team members, a documented record of the competitions in which the individual competitor or team members have participated, including competition results, and a reasonable estimate of expenses for which financial assistance is being sought, all of which information shall be attested to by the sponsor for its accuracy and validity.

(vii) Upon approval, a financial assistance award shall be made to the governing authority of the public or approved nonpublic secondary school submitting the application for the sponsor. The school's governing authority shall serve as the fiscal agent for the team or individual and shall be responsible for keeping appropriate records and documentation for audit purposes of all award expenditures.

(viii) Awarded but unexpended monies shall be returned to the State Department of Education.

(ix) The criteria for approving a financial assistance award shall consist of thoroughness and detail of information submitted in the application process and the qualifications and competition record of the team members or individual competitors seeking assistance. Award criteria shall not discriminate against any student on the basis of race, sex, religious belief, or school attendance at an approved nonpublic school.

(x) If the total dollar amount of approved financial awards for any one program year exceeds total funds available for this purpose, award monies shall be allocated among all approved applicants on the basis of each eligible team or individual competitor receiving the same percentage amount of the total amount approved for the team or individual.

(c) The board shall adopt necessary rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Paragraph.

(d) The cost of the program provided for by this Paragraph shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars in state general funds for the 1995-1996 Fiscal Year.

(21)(a) Annually submit to the House Committee on Education and to the Senate Committee on Education, at the time of the board's submission to the legislature of the proposed minimum foundation program formula, a report providing the following information regarding actual expenditures from state general funds as well as from all sources of funds for public elementary and secondary education purposes, on a school system by school system basis and for the state as a whole, for the most recent year such information is available:

(i) Expenditures, by dollar amount and by percent of total spending, for all instructional purposes, including a subtotal for pupil support and a subtotal for instructional support.

(ii) Expenditures, by dollar amount and by percent of total spending, for food services.

(iii) Expenditures, by dollar amount and by percent of total spending, for other support services.

(iv) Total expenditures.

(b) Information for the same expenditure categories as required by Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph also shall be reported by the amounts and by the percentages of such spending that occur at the individual school building level compared to such expenditures that occur at other than the school building level.

(c) Expenditure categories and subcategories provided for by Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph shall be defined by rule by the board and shall be consistent with expenditure functions adopted by the board for use in its uniform accounting handbook.

(d) The report required by this Paragraph shall include for the same time period education personnel data for the following categories both by numbers of persons employed and by the percent such employment is of the total:

(i) Classroom teachers.

(ii) Teacher aides and paraprofessionals.

(iii) Professional/technical.

(iv) School administration.

(v) Central office administration.

(vi) Office/clerical.

(vii) Maintenance/operations.

(e) The board shall adopt necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Paragraph.

(22) Annually submit each member of the legislature at the time of publication an electronic copy of the state, district, school, and parent-level progress profiles as required by R.S. 17:3912. Upon request, the board shall provide such profiles to any legislator in the form of a paper report.

(23)(a) Develop, adopt, and provide for the implementation of a pilot program in eight public elementary schools as follows:

(i) Two public elementary schools from the northern region of the state.

(ii) Two public elementary schools from the southern region of the state.

(iii) Two public elementary schools from the eastern region of the state.

(iv) Two public elementary schools from the western region of the state.

(b) Participation in the pilot program shall be on a voluntary basis. If, by November 30, 1997, more than the specified number of schools volunteer to participate in the program, then the state Department of Education shall select the schools to participate based upon criteria as established by the department and approved by the board. Such selection of participating schools shall include, to the extent possible, those schools which have already departmentalized any grades at the elementary level and representation from rural, suburban, and urban school systems throughout the state.

(c) Each school participating in the pilot program as provided in this Paragraph shall:

(i) Provide for the departmentalization, or grouping according to subject matter, of grades one through six.

(ii) Study the outcomes of teachers who teach in specialized areas as opposed to teachers who teach all subjects.

(iii) Create a strategic plan for improving and analyzing student achievement and instructional methods.

(iv) Provide for a daily planning period which allows all teachers to meet to discuss student progress in accordance with the strategic plan.

(d) The pilot program as provided in this Paragraph shall be fully implemented by not later than August 31, 1998. After the third year of implementation, the program shall be evaluated by the department in accordance with criteria as established by the department and approved by the board which shall include the collection of data as to the results of the program and student progress and based upon such evaluation, the board shall determine if the program should be implemented on a statewide basis.

(e) The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to provide for and implement the pilot program as provided in this Paragraph.

(24)(a) Develop, adopt, and beginning in the summer after the 1999-2000 school year, provide for the implementation of a pilot education and nutrition summer program based upon the West Virginia Energy Express program. The state Department of Education, with the approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, shall select the sites to participate in the pilot program, which may include school buildings. The purpose of the program shall be to provide children from low-income families with learning activities, social programs, and free breakfast and lunch during the summer when they are not in school. Participation by children in the pilot program shall be on a voluntary basis.

(b) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop and adopt necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of the provisions of this Paragraph and such development shall include consultation with and participation by the cooperative extension service at any state public college or university.

(c) The legislature shall appropriate necessary funding for the development and implementation of the pilot program as provided in this Paragraph.

(d) In addition to funds made available by the legislature, the board may seek and accept any gifts, grants, and donations, including federal funds, from whatever sources may be available to accomplish the purposes of this Paragraph.

(25) Subject to the appropriation of funds for such purpose, develop, adopt, and by not later than the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year, provide for the implementation of a pilot program in each city or parish school system in any municipality having a population of not less than four hundred thousand persons according to the most recent federal decennial census for the purpose of providing systemic improvements in the areas of English and language arts instruction similar to the science and mathematics education reform effort as provided through the Louisiana Systemic Initiatives Program. Such pilot program shall focus on students who have a history of low achievement in such areas. The program shall include in-service training programs for teachers in such areas in order to strengthen teachers' subject matter background and help them develop new teaching techniques and curricular strategies which are at the forefront of English and language arts education.

(26)(a) Develop, adopt, and provide for the implementation of a visual arts curriculum and a performing arts curriculum in public schools as follows:

(i) During the 2007-2008 school year, develop and adopt by not later than July 1, 2008, visual arts and performing arts curriculum guides that are consistent with the arts content standards as developed and adopted by the board. The board shall consult and collaborate with the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in developing such curriculum guides and shall include in the development of such curriculum guides the participation of teachers who are certified in arts education and professional practicing artists in the visual and performing arts as defined by the board, after receiving recommendations from the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism for the purposes of this Paragraph.

(ii) During the 2008-2009 school year, provide professional development and training relative to the implementation in public schools of the curriculum guides, developed pursuant to Item (i) of this Subparagraph, to teachers, school administrators, and professional practicing artists as defined pursuant to the provisions of Item (i) of this Subparagraph.

(iii) During the 2009-2010 school year, provide for the implementation, on a pilot basis, of a visual arts curriculum and a performing arts curriculum that are based upon the curriculum guides developed pursuant to the provisions of Item (i) of this Subparagraph in public schools as selected by the board for participation.

(iv) Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, require full implementation of the visual arts curriculum and the performing arts curriculum for all public school students in kindergarten through grade eight, including a requirement that sixty minutes of instruction in the performing arts and sixty minutes of instruction in the visual arts shall be provided to such students each school week.

(v) Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, require that all public high schools give instruction in the visual arts and the performing arts and that such instruction shall be given in accordance with the curriculum guides developed pursuant to the provisions of Item (i) of this Subparagraph.

(b) The board shall adopt necessary rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Paragraph.

(c) The implementation of the provisions of this Paragraph shall be subject to the appropriation of funds by the legislature for this purpose.

(27)(a)(i) Adopt rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act prohibiting at any public elementary or secondary school interaction between a student and school employee in any classroom, office, meeting room, or other similarly enclosed area on school property unless during the full time of such interaction another school employee, the student's parent, or other authorized adult is present, or the student and employee are clearly viewable by persons outside such area through an open door or entrance or through a window or other means that provide an unobstructed view of such interaction.

(ii) The provisions of Item (i) of this Subparagraph shall not apply to the following:

(aa) Interaction between a student and guidance counselor as defined in R.S. 17:3002.

(bb) Interaction between a student and school employee during the administration of a test when the student's Individualized Education Program as defined in R.S. 17:1945(C)(2) provides for accommodations relative to testing that preclude the presence of other individuals.

(cc) Interaction between a student and school employee engaged in the performance of a noncomplex health procedure as defined in R.S. 17:436(A).

(dd) Interaction between a student and school nurse.

(ee) Any other interaction as determined by the state board.

(b) Rules adopted by the state board pursuant to this Paragraph shall include but not be limited to guidelines requiring implementation, oversight, and enforcement of the prohibition and limitations provided by Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph by every governing authority of a public elementary or secondary school by not later than the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year.

(28)(a) By the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, develop and adopt rules and regulations requiring city, parish, and other local school boards to implement a system to conduct exit interviews for teachers who leave their employ to ascertain their reasons for leaving and to gather information that could prove useful in developing strategies to improve teacher retention rates.

(b) The board shall appoint a task force to assist in developing forms and questions to be utilized in the exit interview.

(c) Each city, parish, and other local public school board annually shall report on the information gathered during the teacher exit interviews conducted in its system to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in a manner that assures complete anonymity and confidentiality for the teacher.

(d) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall compile and analyze the teacher exit interview information submitted by each city, parish, and other local public school system each year and make a comprehensive report to the Senate Committee on Education and the House Committee on Education not later than January fifteenth of each year regarding the information collected during the prior year.

(29) Develop, adopt, and promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act which provide for the following relative to the physical abuse of teachers and other school employees by students in city, parish, and other local public schools:

(a) Requiring school governing authorities to keep an accurate record of each incident of physical abuse by a student that is reported by a teacher or other school employee.

(b) Requiring school governing authorities to provide appropriate equipment to protect teachers and other school employees from physical abuse by students.

(c) Providing support services to teachers and other school employees which afford them the opportunity to discuss the effects of stress caused by physical abuse by students and to identify ways to alleviate such stress.

(d) Giving any teacher or other school employee who has been a victim of physical abuse by a student, or students, the opportunity to seek another position for which he is certified within the same parish and in which he will not have contact with the student or students, provided there is another position available.

(30)(a) By the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, develop and adopt a policy whereby students shall be allowed to accelerate their academic progress, complete all high school graduation requirements established by the board, and receive a high school diploma in less than four years.

(b) Such policy shall encourage and support students who seek early graduation from high school and provide for mechanisms to facilitate implementation of this early high school graduation policy by local public schools and school systems which may include flexible course scheduling and use of distance learning, online courses, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and other accelerated learning programs and examinations.

(c) Each city, parish, and other local public school board shall fully implement the provisions of the early high school graduation policy adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and shall include such in its pupil progression plan.

(31)(a) Develop, adopt, and provide for the implementation of a uniform grading scale for use in public elementary and secondary schools and other public schools and programs under its jurisdiction, which shall be enforced by the governing authorities of public schools and by city, parish, and other local public school superintendents except as otherwise provided by this Paragraph.

(b) The provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph shall not apply to any school operated by the United States Department of Defense that is located on a federal military installation.

(32) Report in writing to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education by not later than September 15, 2010, relative to the standards and criteria used by the board to approve alternative schools and alternative education programs for students in public elementary and secondary schools who are suspended for more than ten days or who are expelled from school for violations of school discipline law or policy and who remain under the supervision of the city, parish, or other local public school taking the action. The report shall specify in detail all minimum standards and criteria that must be met in order for the board to approve the alternative school or program and note standards and criteria that are subject to waiver by the board in making approval determinations.

Acts 1975, No. 274, §1; Acts 1976, No. 455, §1; Acts 1977, No. 645, §1; Acts 1977, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 16, §1, eff. Aug. 17, 1977; Acts 1979, No. 271, §§1, 2; Acts 1979, No. 644, §1; Acts 1979, No. 729, §1; Acts 1980, No. 236, §2; Acts 1980, No. 480, §1; Acts 1980, No. 816, §1; Acts 1981, No. 619, §1, eff. Sept. 15, 1981; Acts 1981, No. 677, §1, eff. Aug. 1, 1981; Acts 1982, No. 625, §1; Acts 1983, No. 197, §1; Acts 1984, No. 290, §1, eff. July 2, 1984; Acts 1986, No. 549, §1; Acts 1988, No. 616, §1, eff. July 14, 1988; Acts 1988, No. 903, §1, eff. July 26, 1988; Acts 1990, No. 854, §1; Acts 1990, No. 1051, §1, eff. July 27, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 392, §1, eff. July 8, 1991; Acts 1991, No. 818, §1; Acts 1991, No. 983, §1; Acts 1992, No. 386, §1, eff. June 18, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 503, §1, eff. June 22, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 613, §1; Acts 1992, No. 1047, §1; Acts 1992, No. 1120, §1, eff. July 14, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 300, §1; Acts 1993, No. 801, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 1993, No. 914, §1, eff. July 1, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 441, §1, eff. June 17, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 508, §1, eff. June 18, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 568, §1, eff. June 18, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 439, §1, eff. June 22, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 451, §1, eff. June 22, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 540, §1, eff. July 3, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1307, §1; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 151, §§1, 3, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 1999, No. 369, §1; Acts 1999, No. 688, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 1999, No. 1373, §1, eff. July 12, 1999; Acts 2001, No. 45, §1; Acts 2003, No. 93, §1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts 2005, No. 103, §1; Acts 2007, No. 175, §1, eff. June 27, 2007; Acts 2007, No. 184, §1, eff. June 27, 2007; Acts 2008, No. 359, §1, eff. June 21, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 466, §1, eff. June 25, 2008; Acts 2009, No. 31, §1; Acts 2009, No. 43, §1; Acts 2009, No. 310, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2010, No. 404, §1; Acts 2010, No. 660, §1, eff. June 29, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 669, §1, eff. June 29, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 698, §1; Acts 2010, No. 701, §1; Acts 2010, No. 742, §1, eff. June 29, 1010; Acts 2010, No. 861, §8; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 41, §2, eff. June 12, 2011; Acts 2011, No. 328, §1, eff. June 29, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 643, §2; Acts 2013, No. 1, §1.

NOTE: See Acts 2013, No. 184, §15, relative to the task force for the development of a uniform grading scale.