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A.(1)  Any student suspended or expelled from school pursuant to the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 17:416, shall remain under the supervision of the governing authority of the city, parish, or other local public school system taking such action using alternative education programs for suspended and expelled students. Alternative education programs of any local public school shall be approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; however, no school system shall be liable for any student attending an alternative education program at a location other than a school site.

(2)  A student expelled pursuant to the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 17:416(B) and (C)(2) may be readmitted only to a city, parish, or other local public school in the school system from which he was expelled prior to the completion of the specified period of expulsion, in accordance with the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 17:416(C)(2)(d).

(3)(a)  Any student placed in an alternative school or an alternative education program, including but not limited to any student receiving education services pursuant to an agreement subject to Paragraph (D)(2) of this Section, shall attend and participate in such school, program, or education services.

(b)  The parent, tutor, or legal guardian of any such student shall ensure attendance as required by this Paragraph and any violation of this Subparagraph shall be subject to the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 17:221(A)(2) and (3).

(c)  Visiting teachers or supervisors of child welfare and attendance, with the approval of the superintendent of the local public school system, shall file proceedings in court to enforce the provisions of this Paragraph.

B.  Repealed by Acts 2012, No. 831, §2, eff. June 14, 2012.

C.  For purposes of this Section, alternative education programs may mean programs designed to offer variations of traditional instructional programs and strategies for the purpose of increasing the likelihood that students who are unmotivated or unsuccessful in traditional programs or who are disruptive in the traditional school environment remain in school and obtain a high school diploma.  Alternative programs may include but not be limited to programs that hold students to strict standards of behavior in highly structured and controlled environments, sometimes referred to as “boot camps”, “police schools”, or “court schools”.

D.(1)  The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt the necessary rules and regulations to provide for the implementation of the provisions of this Section.

(2)  Such rules and regulations shall include provisions for cases in which a school governing authority enters into an agreement with an education service provider for the education of a student who meets any of the following criteria:

(a)  Has been adjudicated delinquent by a court having juvenile jurisdiction as defined in Article 302 of the Children’s Code.

(b)  Has been adjudicated by a court as a member of a family in need of services and is assigned by the office of juvenile justice to a community-based program or facility.

(c)  Is in the custody of the office of juvenile justice as a result of an adjudication and is assigned by the office of juvenile justice to a community-based program or facility.

(d)  Is a student who has been suspended or expelled pursuant to the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 17:416(B) or (C)(2).

(3)  Rules and regulations pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this Subsection shall include all of the following:

(a)  Such services shall be provided to the school governing authority at the actual costs incurred by the provider, not to exceed for each student the pro rata share of the combined state and local per pupil amount of the minimum foundation program for such governing authority.

(b)  In an effort to support the on-time graduation of students who are suspended, expelled, or at high risk for dropping out or entry into the juvenile justice system, academic, behavioral, and mental health interventions must be provided. Interventions offered shall include but not be limited to the following:

(i)  Academic interventions and supports:

(aa)  Targeted academic interventions focused on assessed needs in math and reading using an evidence-based and research-supported curriculum.

(bb)  Use of validated monthly assessments to monitor individual student academic progress.

(cc)  Implementation of research-supported instructional strategies such as differentiated instruction, experiential education, project-based learning, and computer-assisted instruction to support assessed needs and content mastery.

(dd)  Opportunities to participate in credit recovery to support progression towards on-time graduation.

(ee)  On-site access to at least one career or vocational certification option.

(ii)  Behavioral interventions and supports:

(aa)  Positive behavioral supports with a high ratio of positive reinforcement over punishment.

(bb)  Behavioral shaping steps aligned to assessed behavioral needs and goals.

(cc)  Mentoring and frequent behavioral feedback focused on individualized shaping steps for students enrolled.

(dd)  Successive approximations and reinforcements to develop more complex social behaviors.

(iii)  Mental health interventions and supports:

(aa)  Evidence-based cognitive behavioral interventions to address, anger, impulsivity, and aggression.

(bb)  Interventions to address past childhood traumas, including forms of abuse and neglect, being a victim of or a witness to violence, and involvement in natural disasters.

(cc)  Interventions to address substance use and to prevent substance abuse.

(dd)  Interventions to build life skills and social skills in order to increase employability and success in the community.

(4)  Nothing in this Section shall prevent any nonprofit organization that provides alternative education services to a school governing authority from applying to operate a charter school pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 17:3983.

(5)  The governing authority of a Type 5 charter school shall receive approval from the superintendent of the Recovery School District before entering into an agreement with an educational service provider for alternative education services pursuant to the provisions of this Section, and any such agreement shall not be subject to the provisions of Subparagraph (3)(a) of this Subsection.

(6)  Any agreement in effect on the effective date of this Paragraph and any prospective agreement between the Recovery School District and an educational service provider for alternative education shall not be subject to Subparagraph (3)(a) of this Subsection, but shall be approved by the state superintendent of education.

E.  Notwithstanding any provision of La. Rev. Stat. 17:158 to the contrary, a school system shall not be required to provide transportation to any student suspended or expelled from school pursuant to the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 17:416 and remaining under the supervision of the governing authority of the school system taking such action pursuant to Subsection A of this Section if providing such transportation for the student will result in additional transportation costs to the school system.  No school system shall be liable for any suspended or expelled student providing his own transportation pursuant to the provisions of this Section.

F.  Repealed by Acts 2012, No. 831, §2, eff. June 14, 2012.

G.  The provisions of this Section shall not be applicable to any student suspended for up to ten days.

H.  The Department of Education shall monitor each city, parish, and other local public school system annually for compliance with the provisions of this Section.

Added by Acts 1975, No. 762, §1; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 102, §1, eff. July 7, 1994; Acts 1995, No. 671, §1; Acts 2007, No. 385, §1; Acts 2012, No. 831, §§1, 2, eff. June 14, 2012.