2018 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 17 - Education
RS 17:1960.1 - Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) Task Force
NOTE: §1960.1 eff. until March 1, 2019. See Acts 2018, No. 455.
§1960.1. Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) Task Force
A.(1) The legislature finds that children who are deaf or hard of hearing have the same ability and capability to learn language as their peers who do not have a similar disability and that the ability and right to develop language are central to the human experience and necessary prerequisites to literacy as well as cognitive, emotional, linguistic, academic, and social growth and the chance for children to evolve into healthy and productive members of society.
(2) The legislature further finds that the state Department of Education and the Louisiana Department of Health are committed to collaborating to improve services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing so that they have the opportunity to begin kindergarten with the necessary language skills to acquire the knowledge and academic competencies that will allow them to be successful in school and life.
(3) The legislature further finds that pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, P.L. 108-446:
(a) The Louisiana Department of Health is responsible for the provision of early intervention services as identified in a child's Individualized Family Support Plan to children from birth to age three years with special needs and their families.
(b) The state Department of Education is responsible for the provision of special education and related services as identified in a child's Individualized Education Program to children age three to five years with special needs.
B.(1) The Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) Task Force is hereby established for the purposes of developing a resource for parents to monitor and track deaf or hard of hearing children's expressive and receptive language acquisition, using American Sign Language, English, or both languages, and developmental stages toward English literacy and developing a framework for assessing children who are deaf or hard of hearing to determine their competencies in language and literacy skills for the purpose of ensuring they have the opportunity to achieve kindergarten readiness in an equitable manner.
(2) For purposes of this Section, the term "English" shall include spoken English, written English, and English with the use of visual supplements, including but not limited to Cued Speech and Signing Exact English.
C.(1) The task force shall consist of twenty-three members as follows:
(a) One parent whose child is deaf or hard of hearing and proficient in American Sign Language and English.
(b) One parent whose child is deaf or hard of hearing and uses only spoken English.
(c) One teacher of children who are deaf or hard of hearing whose expertise is in curriculum and instruction in American Sign Language and English.
(d) One teacher of children who are deaf or hard of hearing whose expertise is in curriculum and instruction in English.
(e) One early intervention specialist who works with infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing using American Sign Language and spoken English.
(f) One administrator of an early intervention program for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(g) One administrator of a school-age program for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(h) One speech pathologist with experience working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing on the development of spoken English, with or without the use of visual supplements.
(i) One school psychologist with experience working with students who are deaf or hard of hearing and with knowledge in conducting and interpreting cognitive assessments for such students.
(j) Two representatives of an association that advocates to enhance the quality of life for Louisiana children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(k) A licensed or certified mental health professional who works with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.
(l) One adult who is deaf or hard of hearing and is proficient in American Sign Language and English.
(m) One adult who is deaf or hard of hearing who uses spoken English, without visual supplements.
(n) One member of the Louisiana House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives.
(o) One member of the Louisiana Senate appointed by the president of the Senate.
(p) One representative of the Louisiana Department of Health appointed by the department secretary.
(q) The director of the Louisiana Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program or his designee.
(r) The executive director of the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf or his designee.
(s) The state superintendent of education or his designee.
(t) The executive director of the governor's office of disability affairs or his designee.
(u) The outreach coordinator for the Parent Pupil Education Program at the Louisiana School for the Deaf.
(v) One representative appointed by the National Cued Speech Association.
(2) Members provided in Subparagraphs (1)(a) through (m) of this Subsection shall be appointed jointly by the state superintendent of education and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, who shall seek input on the appointments from offices and organizations that serve the deaf community, including but not limited to the Louisiana Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, the Early Steps Program, and the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf. When making these appointments, preference shall be given, if applicable, to persons with deaf education certification or with early childhood education certification and experience working with children with hearing loss.
(3) A vacancy in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
(4) The members of the task force shall elect a chairman.
(5) The members of the task force shall serve without compensation.
D. The state Department of Education and the Louisiana Department of Health shall provide staff support for the task force.
E. The state superintendent of education and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health shall jointly call the initial meeting no later than August 1, 2018, and thereafter the task force shall meet according to a schedule it establishes. A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any and all business. The task force shall be domiciled in Baton Rouge but may hold public meetings elsewhere in the state.
F. The task force shall study and make recommendations relative to matters that shall include, but need not be limited to, developing the framework for assessing children who are deaf or hard of hearing as provided in Subsection B of this Section and selecting language developmental milestones from existing standardized norms. Such framework shall consider children with congenital or acquired hearing loss, unilateral and bilateral hearing loss, all degrees of hearing loss from minimal to profound, and all types of hearing loss. When conducting analysis and making recommendations relative to the framework, the task force shall be impartial with regard to the language and modalities used to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing and shall do all of the following:
(1) Review and make recommendations relative to existing tools or assessments for educators to use to assess the language and literacy development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The tools or assessments shall be all of the following:
(a) Standardized, norm-referenced, and validated.
(b) Able to track such children's expressive and receptive language and cognitive abilities compared to peers who are not deaf or hard of hearing.
(c) Able to be used to establish or modify a child's Individualized Education Program or Individualized Family Service Plan.
(2) Determine how often the tools or assessments reviewed pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection should be used for children from birth to age five.
(3) Identify language development milestones for children who are deaf or hard of hearing by consulting with professionals trained in the language development and education of such children. The milestones shall be all of the following:
(a) A resource for use by parents and educators to monitor and track such children's expressive and receptive language acquisition.
(b) Able to be used to ensure that such children meet developmental milestones toward English literacy.
(c) Evaluated by the use of existing formalized, evidence-based assessments.
(4) Identify procedures and methods for reporting language acquisition, assessment results, milestones, assessment tools used, and progress of such children to parents and to teachers and other professionals involved in their early intervention and education.
(5) Make recommendations relative to ensuring that state law and state and local policies are adequately addressing the language developmental needs of such children.
G. The task force shall submit a report to the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education, the House Committee on Health and Welfare, and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare relative to the provisions of Subsection F of this Section and any other issues it deems appropriate, including any recommendations for related legislation, not later than February 1, 2019. The state Department of Education and the Louisiana Department of Health shall submit responses to this report to these committees not later than March 1, 2019.
NOTE: §1960.1 eff. May 23, 2018. See Acts 2018, No. 455, §4.
§1960.1. Repealed by Acts 2018, No. 455, §4, eff. March 1, 2019.
Acts 2018, No. 455, §1, eff. May 23, 2018; Acts 2018, No. 455, §4, eff. March 1, 2019.
