About BESE BESE was established by the 1974 Louisiana Constitution The Board is composed of 11 members: eight elected by the citizens of Louisiana’s eight BESE districts, and three appointed by the governor of Louisiana to represent the state at-large
BESEs Responsibility The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) was established by the Louisiana Constitution with the responsibility for governing all Louisiana public schools within the following categories: Public elementary schools; Public secondary schools (middle and high schools)
BESE News - July 2024 BESE adopts changes to strengthen statewide accountability system At the June 2024 BESE meetings, the Board approved the Louisiana Department of Education’s “Grow-Achieve-Thrive” plan to restructure the state’s K-12 school and district accountability system
Current Initiatives In June of 2024, BESE adopted a revised statewide K-12 accountability system, the culmination of a three-year, in-depth process by educators, parents, national experts, and stakeholders to study best practices in accountability and develop a better way to measure school success in Louisiana
BESE appoints new executive director The mission of BESE is to provide leadership and create policies for education that expand opportunities for children, empower families and communities, and advance Louisiana in an increasingly competitive global market
BESE News - November 2024 BESE “Bridging Success” tour connects education and industry to expand work-based learning Earlier this year BESE approved a new accountability system for Louisiana schools and districts
Policy BESE maintains an online Rulemaking Docket in compliance with Act 401 of the 2014 Regular Legislative Session, specifically the reporting requirements outlined in R S 49:957 The docket contains information on Notices of Intent, Emergency Rules and other current rulemaking activity
Live Streaming and Video Archive Below are links to upcoming live streams of BESE meetings As a convenience, links to other BESE or LDOE advisory councils, commissions, or task forces which may be streamed are also listed
BESE News - January 2025 BESE, state judicial leaders unite to address K-12 student attendance issues At its January meeting, BESE resolved to work with the Louisiana Supreme Court (LASC) and Governor’s office to convene a statewide summit to address the issue of truancy and chronic absenteeism in Louisiana K-12 schools