HB 321: TEACHERS: Provides for teacher certification and professional development with respect to numeracy (EN INCREASE LF EX See Note) - Louisiana

HB321 Original → HB321 Act · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill transitions from a draft proposal to an enrolled act, finalizing the legal language for mandatory numeracy training for teachers. The primary changes establish specific deadlines for teachers to complete professional development courses based on their grade level and hire date, while explicitly prohibiting the use of state or federal funds to pay for this training.

Scope change

The bill's scope is now defined as an enforceable law (Act No. 353) rather than a prefiled proposal, applying to all public school teachers in Louisiana with specific requirements for K-3 and 4-8 educators.

TIMELINE

The bill status changed from a prefiled proposal to an enrolled Act No. 353, confirming it will become law.

REQUIREMENT

Mandatory numeracy training requirements were added for teachers hired after July 31, 2025 (grades 4-8) and July 31, 2027 (grades K-3), requiring completion within two years of employment.

New requirements mandate numeracy coaches for mathematics teachers in kindergarten through third grade to provide on-site training and feedback.

FISCAL

A new provision explicitly states that no state or federal funds may be used to implement these numeracy training provisions.

DEFINITION

A definition was added clarifying that 'Teacher' specifically refers to public school teachers who teach mathematics.

TECHNICAL

Formatting changes were made to align the text with standard enrolled act conventions, including page numbering and header updates.

HB321 Enrolled → HB321 Original · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was transitioned from an enrolled version to an original prefiling draft, adding a formal declaration of its purpose regarding teacher numeracy certification. The substantive policy text regarding teacher training requirements, funding restrictions, and implementation dates remains unchanged from the enrolled version, indicating no new legislative mandates were introduced in this draft.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the text defines the same requirements for teacher certification and professional development in numeracy.

TECHNICAL

Added a header declaring the bill as 'HLS 25RS-680 ORIGINAL' and prefiling it pursuant to the Louisiana Constitution.

Added a summary statement explaining that the bill provides for teacher certification and professional development with respect to numeracy.

Updated page counts from 4 to 5 and changed the document title from 'ENROLLED' to 'ORIGINAL'.

Removed the 'ENROLLED' status header and the prefiling declaration found in the previous version.

HB321 Engrossed → HB321 Enrolled · 5 edits · Jun 20, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized as Enrolled, removing the pre-filed constitutional notice and reducing the total page count from five to four. Substantively, the timeline for mandatory numeracy training was accelerated, requiring fourth through eighth-grade teachers to complete training by August 1, 2025, and kindergarten through third-grade teachers by August 1, 2027. The bill also mandates the hiring of numeracy coaches for K-3 schools and clarifies that implementation depends on available funding, explicitly stating that no state or federal funds will be used if specific numeracy expenditures are not allowable under existing guidelines.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on teacher certification and professional development in foundational numeracy, but the applicability of the training requirements has been expanded and accelerated for all grade levels compared to the Engrossed version.

TIMELINE

The deadline for fourth through eighth-grade teachers to complete numeracy training was set to August 1, 2025, and for kindergarten through third-grade teachers to August 1, 2027.

REQUIREMENT

Public school governing authorities are now required to provide numeracy coaches for mathematics teachers in kindergarten through third grade to support evidence-based instruction.

FISCAL

A new provision clarifies that the effectiveness of the bill's implementation is subject to the allocation of funds and explicitly states that no state or federal funds will be used if numeracy-related expenditures are not allowable under relevant funding guidelines.

TECHNICAL

The pre-filed constitutional notice and the phrase 'TEACHERS: Provides for teacher certification...' were removed during the final enrollment process.

The document was condensed from five pages to four pages, likely due to the removal of the pre-filed notice and minor formatting adjustments.

TEACHERS: Provides for teacher certification and professional development with respect to numeracy (EN INCREASE LF EX See Note)

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