EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: Provides for concurrence of a public school system prior to changing certain information assigned to a student in the data collection system. (gov sig)
Summary
SB 290 amends Louisiana law governing the Department of Education’s student data collection system. The bill requires the department to obtain concurrence from a city, parish, or other local public school system before changing the exit code assigned to a student when that code would differ from the code originally assigned by the school system. In practical terms, the measure adds a local approval step before the state can alter a student’s exit classification in the statewide data system.
The bill is narrow and procedural rather than substantive, focusing on how student records are handled within the state education database. It does not create a new category of student data or change school discipline or enrollment rules directly; instead, it limits the Department of Education’s unilateral authority to modify a specific data element and preserves local school system input in that process.
Impact
SB 290 amends R.S. 17:3911(C)(5) to require local school system concurrence before the Department of Education changes a student’s exit code to one that differs from the code assigned by the local system. This affects the statewide education data collection system and the administrative relationship between the state department and local school boards, giving local districts greater control over a student’s recorded exit status in official data.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate 36-0 and the House 91-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The lack of recorded committee debate or amendments in the provided materials suggests general agreement with the bill’s limited administrative purpose.
Contention
No major points of contention are evident in the available record. Because the bill requires local concurrence before the state changes a student’s exit code, any potential concern would likely center on state-versus-local control over student records and data accuracy. However, the unanimous votes indicate that, at least in this case, lawmakers did not view that issue as divisive.
Requires school systems to provide a salary increase for teachers and other school employees using savings attributable to the state's payment of certain unfunded accrued liability of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)
Requests the Louisiana Department of Education to develop and implement a system for collecting and reporting aggregated, non-identifiable data on suicide risk assessments conducted in public schools.
Provides relative to reports and certain commissions and advisory councils with respect to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department of Education