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K-12 Education

House Bill 2068 (Act No. 478) - School and District Accountability System

bulletCreates the School and District Accountability Advisory Commission. bulletCommission shall make recommendations to BESE which shall include the following considerations: bulletAppropriate minimum levels of student achievement bulletSchool and district assessment indicators bulletStudent achievement baselines and growth rates bulletRewards and corrective actions for schools and school districts bulletTechnical assistance for schools and district1997/98 school year: schools must develop improvement plans bullet1999/2000 school year: BESE must fully implement the program bullet$3 million was appropriated to the School and District Accountability Fund to implement this program bulletEffective June 30, 1997

House Bill 1911 (Act No. 475) - Classroom-Based Technology Fund

bulletCreates the La. Center for Educational Technology within the state Department of Education bulletFunds: $38.2 million grant program bulletPublic and charter schools apply for funds to buy educational technology for teachers and students from their local school board. bulletNon-public schools apply for the funds from the state Department of Education's La. Center for Educational Technology bulletEffective June 30, 1997

House Bill 2233 (Act No. 1441) - Quality Early Reading Initiative

bulletEnhances early childhood reading programs bulletImplementation: 1997/98 school year bulletAlthough no appropriation was made specifically for this legislation, nothing in the State Appropriations Bill prohibits part of a $30 million fund for K-3 reading and math programs to go toward funding the Quality Reading Initiative. bulletEffective July 15, 1997

House Bill 1 (State Appropriations Bill) - Public School Teacher Pay Raise

bulletK-12 state public school teachers and certified personnel pay raise bulletMost increases range from $1,000 to $1,400 bulletSchool support workers will receive a $500 pay raise bulletBoth pay raises include a Minimum Foundation Program Formula bulletEffective 1997/98 school year

House Concurrent Resolution 245 - Approval of Minimum Foundation Program Formula (MFP)

bullet$2.1 billion in state funding for K-12 public education for the 1997/98 fiscal year bulletIncludes $95 million in lottery proceeds bulletAn increase of $139 million over the current year

House Bill 2074 (Act No. 306) - Teacher Staff Development Days

bulletOne additional staff development day required for each $30 million increase in state funds appropriated for teacher salaries bulletSince $65.2 million was appropriated this year for K-12 teacher and certified personnel pay raises, the 1997/98 school year will include 2 additional staff development days bulletEffective June 17, 1997

House Bill 1380 (Act No. 473) - Teacher Supplies Fund

bulletFunds: $11.4 million -or- roughly $12.53 per pupil bulletUsed for buying teaching materials and classroom supplies bulletAvailable to teachers in public, charter and BESE-approved non-public schools bulletIf going to non-public school teachers, must be for secular purposes only, and all material bought remains the property of the state bulletRules and regulations for public and non-public schools are being developed for BESE approval bulletPublic school teachers should apply through their local school board bulletFunds to public schools will be released in September bulletEffective June 30, 1997

House Bill 2065 (Act No. 477) - Public Charter School Program

bulletExpands program from 8 participating school districts bulletPermits all local school boards to enter into charters with nonprofit corporations to operate new schools or to convert and operate preexisting schools bulletMaximum of 42 charters available statewide - no more than 20 during 1997/98 school year bulletCharters can be proposed by one of the following:
bulletLocal school board bulletNonprofit corporations bulletBusiness/Corporate entities bulletTeachers bulletCitizens bulletPublic service organizations bulletA state university bullet* All of the above must have at least 3 persons who are certified teachers in their group bullet* None of the above can be involved in certain gaming activities
bulletLocal school boards must propose its charters to BESE bulletAny nonprofit corporation seeking to operate a new school may propose its charter to BESE if turned down by the local school board bulletNonprofit corporations seeking to convert a preexisting school can only propose its charter to the local school board bulletCreates the Charter School Start-Up Loan Fund to pay for start-up and early operating expenses: bulletAdministered by BESE bulletNo interest loans up to $100,000 bulletEffective June 30, 1997

Senate Bill 965 (Act No. 1350) - Louis Armstrong High School for the Arts

bulletWill serve only as a magnet school for the arts, not mathematics or sciences bulletAdmission shall be based upon auditions and/or submissions of creative writing and art bulletNo duplication of programs already offered by the La. School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches bulletA residential school located on a satellite campus of the University of Southwestern La. at a location in Vermilion Parish bulletLimits residential admission to high school juniors and seniors bulletDay student admission permitted for sophomores bulletThe school will be considered as, and governed as, part of the USL campus bulletWill have its own seven-member school board who will serve without compensation bulletMay open and begin operation in the fall semester of 1999 if construction needs are met and further funding is secured bulletThe school may be funded by the state from monies appropriated by the Legislature bulletThe school board may accept federal aid, or contributions from private citizens or corporations to help fund the school's operations bulletMay open and begin operation in the fall semester of 1999 if construction needs are met and further funding is secured bulletEffective August 15, 1997

 

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