La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § CLXVII-309

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section CLXVII-309 - Community Network Lead Agency

A. A community network lead agency is either a state agency, a local public school system, or a non-profit having an educational or social services mission, including but not limited to a nonprofit corporation of a philanthropic or policy nature, a Louisiana public postsecondary institution, or a nonprofit corporation established by the governing authority of a parish or municipality, that is approved by BESE and that:

1. serves as the fiscal agent of the community network;

2. coordinates the duties and responsibilities of the community network; and

3. acts as the liaison between the community network and the department.

B. Duties and Responsibilities

1. The lead agency shall be responsible for coordinating the duties and responsibilities of the community network pertaining to:

a. coordinated Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS^®) observations, as provided in §503, which includes but is not limited to:

i. submitting the community networks annual plan for coordinated CLASS^® observations to the department;

ii. submitting all CLASS^® observation results to the department; and

iii. sharing each publicly-funded programs CLASS^® observation results with that publicly-funded program and sharing the aggregate CLASS^® observation results for the community network with all publicly-funded programs in the community network, at least monthly;

b. coordinated enrollment, as provided in Chapter 7, which includes but is not limited to:

i. ensuring a coordinated enrollment process is operated by the community network each year as provided in §703;

ii. submitting to the department the community networks coordinated enrollment plan, which shall include signatures from each publicly-funded program in the community network indicating approval of the plan and shall describe how the community network will ensure coordinated enrollment for families within the community network who want to enroll their infant, toddler, or PreK children in a publicly-funded program in the community network;

iii. submitting counts to the department twice a year reflecting the total enrollment of at-risk children in all programs in the community network as of October 1 and as of February 1, according to the age cohorts provided in §701;

iv. submitting an annual request for funding to the department for publicly-funded programs in the community network that is based on the results of the coordinated enrollment process used in the community network and is subject to the requirements provided in §709; and

v. working with all publicly-funded programs in the community network to maximize all available resources to increase the quality of and access to the publicly-funded programs for at-risk children;

c. accountability system reporting, as provided in §515;

d. data verification, as provided in §517;

e. requesting waivers, as provided in §519;

f. submitting appeals, as provided in §521; and

g. demonstrating progress toward implementation of coordinated enrollment as provided in §707

2. The lead agency shall not charge any publicly-funded program for any part of the coordinated observation process and shall not require publicly-funded programs to provide staff to conduct CLASS^® observations.

C. Selection and Approval

1. Lead agencies shall be approved by BESE.

2. The department shall identify potential lead agencies through a competitive process and submit them to BESE for approval.

2. Applicants for lead agency shall demonstrate support from all publicly-funded programs within the community network by obtaining signatures from each and submitting them to the department in the competitive process.

3. By June 30 of each year, the department shall recommend the identified lead agencies to BESE for approval.

4. If BESE has not approved a lead agency for a community network by July 1, the department shall serve as lead agency for the community network.

5. Lead agencies approved by BESE shall serve for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.

D. Contracts

1. Lead agencies approved by BESE shall enter into a lead agency agreement with the department.

2. The lead agency may enter into a contract or agreement with an individual or entity for performance of specific tasks within the duties and responsibilities of the lead agency, but the lead agency remains responsible for satisfactory completion of the tasks.

E. Funding

1. Subject to available funding, lead agencies shall be funded based on the number of early childhood care and education classrooms (classrooms) in the network.

a. Lead agencies shall be notified of their total funding for the following fiscal year by June 30.

b. Lead agencies shall use funding solely to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the community network as provided in this bulletin.

c. If the department is required to serve as a lead agency, the department shall be funded in the same manner as any other lead agency.

F. Audit

1. BESE may request a financial audit of the lead agencys use of funds allocated to it.

2. Audits shall be at the departments expense.

3. If a lead agency improperly uses its allocated funds, the lead agency may be required to repay the improperly used amount.

G. Termination of Lead Agency Approval

1. If a lead agency fails to satisfactorily and timely comply with the duties and responsibilities contained in this Bulletin or with any additional duties and responsibilities established in writing during the competitive process, the department shall notify the lead agency, and all publicly-funded programs within the community network in writing and specify any corrective actions that may be required.

2. Within 30 calendar days of receiving such notice, the lead agency shall submit in writing to the department certification that the corrective actions have been taken or are in the process of being taken and submit a timely implementation schedule for department approval.

3. If the lead agency does not respond in writing in a timely or satisfactory manner or adhere to the implementation schedule approved by the department, either or both of the following actions may occur.

a. The department may withhold funds from the lead agency for any work not yet performed.

b. The department may make a recommendation to BESE that approval of the lead agency be terminated.

4. If BESE terminates a lead agencys approval and does not approve a new lead agency, the department shall serve as lead agency for a community network.

5. The department shall notify all publicly-funded programs in a community network of any change in that community networks lead agency.

6. If a lead agencys approval is terminated:

a. The entity shall be ineligible to serve as lead agency in the community network from which its approval was terminated for a minimum period of 24 months.

b. If the entity serves as lead agency for more than one community network, the entity may continue to serve as lead agency for any community network for which its approval has not been terminated.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § CLXVII-309

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 412583 (12/1/2015), Amended LR 482094 (8/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:407.21 et seq.