§4002.4. State board; powers and duties relative to course providers
A.(1) The state board shall create a process for authorizing course providers that
shall determine whether each proposed course provider complies with the law and rules,
whether the proposal is valid, complete, financially well-structured, and educationally sound,
whether it provides a plan for collecting data in accordance with R.S. 17:3911, and whether
it offers potential for fulfilling the purposes of this Part. The state board shall provide for an
independent evaluation of the proposal by a third party with educational, organizational,
legal, and financial expertise.
(2) The process shall provide for an agreement between the state and board and the
course provider that shall include, at a minimum, a plan for implementing or providing the
following:
(a) Administration of state assessments to eligible funded students, as required by
the school and district accountability system.
(b) The parishes or local school systems in which the course provider will operate.
(c) Proposed courses offered, alignment of the courses by the course provider with
the requirements of R.S. 17:24.4, and the designated length of each course offered.
(d) Alignment of the courses offered by the course provider with any type of
approved Louisiana diploma, including those provided in R.S. 17:183.2, 183.3, and 236.1.
(e) Assurances that the course provider shall, to the best of its ability, collaborate and
coordinate with a local school system in which a eligible funded student or eligible
participating student is enrolled full time.
B.(1) The initial authorization of the course provider shall be for a period of three
years. After the second year of the initial authorization period, the state board shall conduct
a thorough review of the course provider's activities and the academic performance of the
students enrolled in courses offered by the course provider in accordance with the school and
district accountability system. If the performance of the students enrolled in courses offered
by the course provider pursuant to the school and district accountability system does not meet
performance standards set by the state board, the state board shall place the course provider
on probation.
(2) After the initial three-year authorization period, the state board may reauthorize
the course provider for additional periods of not less than three years nor more than five
years after thorough review of the course provider's activities and the achievement of
students enrolled in courses offered by the course provider.
(3) The state board shall monitor and evaluate the course provider in accordance with
performance expectations set forth by the state board in which student achievement is the
predominant criterion.
(4) The state board shall create a process for common course numbering of all
courses listed in the course catalogue and for determining whether courses are in compliance
with R.S. 17:24.4. For courses offered by postsecondary education institutions that are
authorized course providers, the state board shall consult with the Board of Regents.
C. The state board shall create and maintain a reciprocal teacher certification process
for teachers who reside in other states but who are employed by authorized course providers
and teach virtual education courses to satisfy the state certification requirements pursuant to
R.S. 17:8.1.
D.(1) The state board shall create a course catalogue for all courses offered, by
parish, and shall timely update the catalogue prior to the beginning of each school year.
(2) The state board shall include any course offered for dual enrollment by a
Louisiana public institution of postsecondary education in the course catalogue, with no
requirement for course approval by the board or the state Department of Education, provided
the course meets the Carnegie unit requirements for high school graduation.
Acts 2012, No. 2, §1; Acts 2014, No. 482, §1, eff. June 5, 2014; Acts 2015, No. 297,
§1.