Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 15.

As described below, this bill makes various changes to the Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act, effect October 1, 2023.<br /> <br /> ANNUAL CAMPS<br /> <br /> Present law requires the department of education to establish and administer a learning loss remediation and student acceleration program ("program") by, among other things, determining program requirements and a procedure for allocating funding to each local education agency (LEA) and participating public charter school for conducting after-school learning mini-camps and summer learning camps. LEAs and participating schools are only required to conduct such camps and mini-camps in the summers immediately following the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. This bill requires LEAs and participating schools to conduct the camps every summer.<br /> <br /> Present law also requires each LEA to participate in the program by, among other things, implementing and conducting after-school learning mini-camps and summer learning camps for students, including students enrolled in a public charter school located within the geographic boundaries of the LEA. LEAs are only required to conduct summer learning camps in the summers immediately following the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. This bill requires LEAs to conduct both summer learning camps and after-school learning mini-camps every summer.<br /> <br /> PRIORITY STUDENTS GENERALLY<br /> <br /> Present law authorizes priority students to participate in an after-school learning mini-camp, learning loss bridge camp, or summer learning camp. However, priority students are not required to participate in the camps unless the local board of education or the governing body of a participating public charter school adopts a policy requiring priority students to participate.<br /> <br /> Present law requires each LEA and public charter school to conduct an initial enrollment period of at least 30 days, during which time the parent or guardian of a priority student may enroll their student in a camp. If additional seats are available at the end of the initial enrollment period, then students who are not priority students may enroll in the LEA's or participating school's camp that is appropriate for that student's grade level, as long as permitted sources of funding are used to fund the enrollment of such students.<br /> <br /> Present law also authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to use the state-adopted benchmark assessments, the Tennessee universal math screener, the Tennessee universal reading screener, or a universal reading screener approved by the state board of education to measure the academic proficiency of students and to identify priority students for such camps.<br /> <br /> PRIORITY STUDENTS IN AFTER-SCHOOL LEARNING MINI-CAMPS<br /> <br /> For purposes of an after-school learning mini-camp, present law defines a priority student as any of the following:<br /> <br /> (1) A student who will be entering fourth or fifth grade in the upcoming school year and scored below proficient in math or English language arts on the student's most recent Tennessee comprehensive assessment program (TCAP) test;<br /> <br /> (2) A student who will be entering first, second, or third grade in the upcoming school year and attends a school in which fewer than 50 percent of the students in grades three through five scored proficient in math or English language arts on the most recently administered TCAP test;<br /> <br /> (3) A student who will be entering first, second, third, fourth, or fifth grade in the upcoming school year and is eligible for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF); or<br /> <br /> (4) A student who will be entering first, second, third, or fourth grade in the upcoming school year and scored below proficient in math or English language arts on the student's most recent state-adopted benchmark assessment, Tennessee universal math screener, Tennessee universal reading screener, universal reading screener, or, for after-school learning mini-camps conducted in the 2021-2022 school year, response to instruction and intervention (RTI2) screener;<br /> <br /> This bill alters the above definition by removing (1); adding to (2) and (3) a student entering kindergarten in the upcoming school year; removing from (3) a student entering fourth or fifth grade in the upcoming school year; removing from (4) a student entering fourth grade in the upcoming school year; and adding an at risk child who is four years of age on or before August 15, if included at the discretion of the LEA.<br /> <br /> PRIORITY STUDENTS IN LEARNING LOSS BRIDGE CAMPS<br /> <br /> For purposes of a learning loss bridge camp, present law defines a priority student as any of the following:<br /> <br /> (1) A student who will be entering the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade in the 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 school year who scored below proficient in math or English language arts on the student's most recent TCAP test or state-adopted benchmark assessment; or<br /> <br /> (2) A student who will be entering the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade in the 2023-2024 school year, or in a subsequent school year, who scored below proficient in math or English language arts on the student's most recent TCAP test or state-adopted benchmark assessment.<br /> <br /> This bill alters the above provisions by replacing the specific school years language with "in the upcoming school year"; and adding a student who will be entering ninth grade in the upcoming school year.<br /> <br /> PRIORITY STUDENTS IN SUMMER LEARNING CAMPS<br /> <br /> For purposes of a summer learning camp, present law defines a priority student as:<br /> <br /> (1) A student who will be entering fourth or fifth grade in the upcoming school year and scored below proficient in math or English language arts on the student's most recent TCAP test;<br /> <br /> (2) A student who will be entering first, second, or third grade in the upcoming school year and attends a public school or public charter school in which fewer than 50 percent of students in grades three through five scored proficient in math or English language arts on the most recently administered TCAP test;<br /> <br /> (3) A student who will be entering first, second, third, fourth, or fifth grade in the upcoming school year and is eligible for TANF; or<br /> <br /> (4) A student who will be entering first, second, third or fourth grade in the upcoming school year and scored below proficient in math or English language arts on the student's most recent state-adopted benchmark assessment, Tennessee universal math screener, Tennessee universal reading screener, universal reading screener, or, for summer learning camps conducted in the summer immediately following the 2020-2021 school year, response to instruction and intervention (RTI2) screener.<br /> <br /> This bill alters the above definition by removing (1); adding to (2) and (3) a student entering kindergarten in the upcoming school year; removing from (3) a student entering fourth or fifth grade in the upcoming school year; removing from (4) a student entering fourth grade in the upcoming school year; and adding an at risk child who is four years of age on or before August 15, if included at the discretion of the LEA.<br /> <br /> ON MARCH 6, 2023, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 249, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 changes the effective date of the bill from October 1, 2023, to upon becoming a law. <br />