Author: Emily Gautreaux

Louisiana Ranks First in the Nation for 4th Grade Reading Growth

Recently, the latest edition of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) revealed that Louisiana is the nation’s leading state in improving fourth-grade reading, according to this news release from the Louisiana Department of Education.

The Nation’s Report Card, which is also known as the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), is an exam that has been assessing 4th and 8th graders in reading and mathematics since 1990. Though the NAEP had been suspended since 2019 due to the global pandemic, it is still seen as the gold standard of student assessments, and it is recognized as the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what the students of the United States of America “know and can do in various subject areas.”

The Report Card, which was recently released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), revealed thatLouisiana fourth-graders showed improvement in reading growth, ranking Number One in the nation for 2022 improvement in 4th grade reading scale scores and proficiency rates. In all four NAEP grades and subjects, the improvements shown by Louisiana students outpaced national trends. According to the NCES, the fourth graders in Louisiana have outperformed the national average by a significant margin; they accomplished this despite some major challenges, such as the recent global pandemic and two back-to-back hurricane seasons.

Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s State Superintendent of Education, spoke on the state’s achievement by saying, “I want to thank our teachers for their efforts through the pandemic and multiple hurricanes. This is not a ‘jump for joy’ moment because we still want to get better; however, they show our strategy for academic recovery and acceleration is working. We shouldn’t chase shiny things and get distracted in Louisiana. Let’s focus on fundamentals like reading and math, supporting educators, and empowering parents.”

The impressive reading scores can be attributed to the fact that in the last few years, Louisiana has put into place a number of policy decisions in an effort to combat the state’s long-standing literacy crisis. For example, in 2011 55% of 4th graders passed basic and above on the NAEP. Eight years later those numbers remained exactly the same, yet this year’s results show that 57% of Louisiana 4th graders are passing basic or above in reading.

The Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Jenna Chaisson, attributed the progress in reading by saying, “the progress our 4th graders made in reading is a testament to Louisiana’s educators for embracing our fundamental shift in how we teach students to read. We’ve set ambitious goals for our children and these results are a step in the right direction.”

When looking at the results of the National Report Card for the country as a whole and when singling out Louisiana,the results demonstrate a significant impact of the pandemic on students over the past couple of years. The disruptions to education were further exacerbated in Louisiana by Hurricanes Laura and Ida.

When compared to the 2019 data, Louisiana’s 4th grade reading improved by 2 points while the national average declined by 3 points. In 8th grade reading, Louisiana saw around the same level of scores as it did in 2019 with a 2-point decline compared to a 3-point decline nationally. In 4th grade math, Louisiana saw a 2-point decline compared to a 5-point decline nationally. In 8th grade math, Louisiana saw a 6-point decline compared to an 8-point decline nationally. NAEP results are used by teachers, principals, parents, policymakers, and researchers in order to assess progress and develop solutions to improve education in the United States.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is responsible for administering the NAEP program. They are a part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) sets policy for the NAEP program.

For more education-related information, click here.Louisiana Ranks First in the Nation for 4th Grade Reading Growth

Thanksgiving Travel Ideas

The Thanksgiving holiday is quickly approaching and if you haven’t already confirmed your travel plans or your destination, now’s the time. Luckily, if you’re scrambling to figure out what to do with your November holiday, it’s certainly not too late. The good news is that there are plenty of destinations to travel to over the Thanksgiving holiday without spending a lot of money. In this travel blog article from Travel + Leisure, you’ll find a great list of destinations that won’t break the bank as well as some advice on how to book last-minute deals so you don’t get stuck with high prices.

Many people have a tough time finding time to plan their Thanksgiving vacation in advance. One of the most stressful parts of this process is booking plane tickets, rental cars, or train tickets considering how expensive they can be near the holiday season. According to a survey from HomeToGo, 2022 prices of holiday flights are expected to reach the highest rates in the past five years. How do travelers adapt accordingly? Simply substitute your high-end vacation destinations like Cape Cod or Maui for versatile and magical destinations like Carolina Beach, which was recently named for having one of the best beaches in the state of North Carolina, or you can even substitute Isla Mujeres,which is located just off of the coast of Cancun.

Killington, Vermont

Killington is one of the best places to book an affordable last-minute Thanksgiving vacation; this is due to the fact that the town is located in the heart of the Green Mountains and is home to Killington Resort, the largest ski resort in New England.

Thanksgiving is clearly the optimal time to visit Killington, as the town is decked out in holiday lights and decorationsfor the annual Vermont Holiday Festival. This festival features nearly 100 beautifully decorated Christmas trees for families to enjoy as well as a slew of festive events. The town also has the annual Killington Turkey Trot 5K, which takes place on the morning of Thanksgiving. If you’re looking for some fun activities to do during your stay, Killington has plenty to offer; in addition to skiing and snowboarding, there’s ice skating, dog sled tours, snowmobiling, and more. And when you need a break from all the outdoor adventure, you can check out some of Killington’s top-rated restaurants and shops.

Carolina Beach, North Carolina

If you’re wanting a warmer area of the country than the ski paradise of Killington, then you ought to consider Carolina Beach, North Carolina for your Thanksgiving vacation destination this year. With its lovely weather and sandy shores, Carolina Beach is a great place to relax and enjoy the holiday. Plus, there are plenty of affordable hotels and vacation rentals available. For a budget-friendly option, check out the Ocean Dunes Resort & Villas. This resort offers oceanfront suites and villas at an affordable price. Another great option is the Hampton Inn & Suites Carolina Beach Oceanfront. This hotel provides guests with complimentary breakfast and a stellar view.

While staying in town, there’s no shortage of things to do in Carolina Beach. Stroll along the waterfront, enjoy a delicious seafood dinner, or explore the town’s many shops and boutiques. Be sure to visit the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, where you can ride the Ferris wheel, play some arcade games, and enjoy some tasty treats.

Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville is a great place to book an affordable last-minute Thanksgiving vacation. The city has a number of hotels and resorts that offer special rates for Thanksgiving weekend, making it a great option for those looking to save money on their holiday travel. Additionally, Greenville is home to a number of attractions and activities that are perfect for families or couples looking to enjoy some time together during the holidays. Thanks to its central location, Greenville is also a great jumping-off point for exploring the rest of South Carolina or taking a day trip to North Carolina.

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Red Beans and Rice with Sausage Recipe

Red beans and rice is a classic New Orleans dish, and it’s one of the tastiest and easiest dishes to make that’s also packed with flavor. Thanks to this genuine, flavorful New Orleans–Style Red Beans and Rice recipe from Serious Eats, you can rest assured that you’ll be enjoying a hearty bowl of red beans and sausage in no time.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. In order to begin cooking this recipe by placing your red beans in a large bowl and covering it with about 6 cups of cold water. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and stir until the salt is dissolved. Set this aside for around 8 to 16 hours at room temperature. Afterward, drain the pot and rinse.
  2. Next, place your vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add your andouille or smoked sausage and cook, stirring, until the discs are lightly browned. This will take about 5 minutes. Then, add in your finely chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery. Season with salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened and are just starting to brown around the edges. This will take approximately 8 minutes.
  3. Add in your minced garlic and cook until the Dutch oven is quite fragrant. Stir in your cayenne pepper, sage, and a generous dozen grinds of fresh black peppercorn before adding your rinsed beans along with enough water to cover the Dutch Oven by about 2 inches (roughly 6 to 8 cups). If using, place your ham hock, tasso, or pickled pork into the pot. Additionally, add in your thyme leaves and three bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours before cooking is complete. Note: older beans take much longer to cook thoroughly than more recent ones.
  4. After the initial cooking, remove the lid of your Dutch oven, and add a cup of water to the pot. After about 20 minutes, the liquid should be reduced and start to turn creamy. It will not be as smooth or creamy if you’re cooking in a crock pot.
  5. Once satisfied with the texture and consistency, you’ll discard your bay leaves and thyme stems. Season to taste with your preferred amount of dashes of hot sauce, cider vinegar (if using), and salt and pepper. For the best texture, let your red beans and rice cool overnight in the refrigerator before reheating tomorrow. When reheating, add more water occasionally to make it looser when served. Serve red beans over white rice.
  6. Enjoy!

Notes:

For more delicious recipes, click here.

 

How to Spend Your Time in St. Louis, Missouri

If you’re looking for a great midwestern vacation destination, St. Louis is the perfect place to visit, especially when you’re supplied with this travel guide from Explore St. Louis.  Known as “The Gateway to the West,” St. Louis, Missouri is the most populous city in the state, and it reliably attracts those who want to explore America’s frontier past, look onward to its future, and bask in the present moment.

If you are looking for a new destination to explore, St. Louis might be the perfect place for you. This historic city is home to plenty of opportunities for fun activities and sightseeing, as well as local restaurants and attractions. Read on to find out more about what this amazing city has to offer!

Citygarden

Citygarden is a stunning public park located in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri. This oasis features 24 acres of manicured gardens, fountains, sculptures, and walking paths. Citygarden is the perfect place to take a break from sightseeing and enjoy some fresh air, as the park is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Missouri History Museum

The Missouri History Museum is a great place to learn about the utterly rich history of the state of Missouri. The museum has interactive exhibits that tell the stories of Missouri’s people, places, and events. The museum also has aresearch center where you can find resources for your own family history research.

Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in the United States. Founded in 1859, the Garden now covers 79 acres (32 hectares) and is home to more than 6,000 different kinds of plants from all over the world. Highlights include the Japanese Garden, the Climatron geodesic dome greenhouse, and the Victorian-style Linnean House. The Garden also has an excellent education program, with classes and workshops for all ages.

Grand Center

Grand Center is one of the most vibrant areas in St. Louis, with a variety of things to do for all ages. The area is home to the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, The Fabulous Fox Theatre, and The Grandel Theatre, as well as many other smaller venues. There are also a number of museums in the area, including the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum. In addition to all of the cultural attractions, Grand Center is also home to a number of restaurants, making it a great place to spend an evening.

Grant’s Farm

Grant’s Farm is a free attraction in St. Louis, Missouri that features over 900 animals from around the world. The farm is open daily, and visitors can take part in a variety of activities, including animal feedings, wagon rides, and camel rides. In addition to the animals, Grant’s Farm also features a number of historical buildings and exhibits. Whether you’re interested in animals, history, or you just want to spend a day outdoors, Grant’s Farm is a great place to visit.

Saint Louis Science Center

The Saint Louis Science Center is a great place to visit if you’re interested in science and technology. The center has many interactive exhibits, as well as a planetarium and an IMAX theater. You can also see live demonstrations of scientific principles in action. The St. Louis Science Center is a great place to learn about the world around us, while also being uniquely enjoyable.

Laumeler Sculpture Park

The Laumeler Sculpture Park is a great place to visit if you are looking for a place to see some amazing sculptures. The park is home to over 100 sculptures, which were created by artists from all over the world. The sculptures are made out of different materials, including stone, metal, and glass. The sculpture park is open to the public year-round, and there is no admission fee. Visitors can explore the park at their own pace, and there are plenty of benches and picnic tables scattered throughout the park for visitors to take a break. There is also a small pond in the park that adds to the tranquil atmosphere. Whether you are an art lover or just looking for a place to relax and enjoy the outdoors, the Laumeler Sculpture Park is definitely worth a visit.

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Grant Awarded to Nicholls for New Engineering Technology Program

In order to create a brand-new degree program in the field of engineering, Nicholls State University has been awarded a $1.8 million grant, according to this press release from the school. As an integral part of the South Louisiana H2theFuture Energy Transformation Coalition, Nicholls will offer students the Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology and thus provide career-ready training for students to join the emerging clean energy workforce in the state.

H2theFuture, a 25-organization large partnership of institutions and businesses across South Louisiana, of which Nicholls is a member, has been awarded a $50 million federal grant by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).

Greater New Orleans Development Foundation and its affiliate, Greater New Orleans, Inc., are leading the H2theFuture project. This project will create jobs in Louisiana by implementing a clean hydrogen cluster strategy that is designed to lower carbon emissions in the South Louisiana industrial corridor.

Nicholls University is set to develop a new engineering technology curriculum that will be focused on serving the needs of the generation and delivery of new energy in South Louisiana. As a result, the school will be supporting incumbent, dislocated, and fresh workers that have emerged from Hurricane Ida, restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the oilfield downturn.

Dr. John Doucet is the Dean of the College of Sciences and Technology as well as the Director of Coastal Initiatives and Project Leader. Dr. Doucet spoke about the grant by saying, “t​he H2theFuture grant will fund a brand new engineering technology degree program at Nicholls focused on preparing students for the emerging renewable energy industry in Louisiana. With this funding, Nicholls will be providing high-quality engineering technologists to satisfy workforce needs as well as preparing our students for high-paying technical jobs and careers.”

Multiple of Nicholls’ advisors from the energy and engineering industry have indicated that this type of program’s produced graduates will be some of the most employable in the future. Nicholls’ collaborative degree program will supply its students not only with project-based electrical, mechanical, and industrial engineering skills, but they will also be able to coordinate construction projects, conduct building and equipment inspections, and use unmanned aerial vehicles for data collection.

Recently, other non-industry partners have supported Nicholls State University in the development of its Coastal Center, which is a research and education center that will be focused on science-based solutions to problems in coastal areas and estuaries.

Because Louisiana has the highest per-capita use of industrial H2 in the United States, as well as other factors, the state may be the best choice for a clean hydrogen cluster. Some of the state’s other advantages include it having the densest pipeline system in the country as well as the largest hydrogen system that stretches over 700-miles from Galveston Bay in Texas to New Orleans. Additionally, Louisiana is home to the second-largest port complex in the entire Western Hemisphere.

The state also has the fourth-largest offshore wind energy potential in America. Lastly, outside of Louisiana partnering with various universities that are skilled in energy training, the state is also home to major private sector industrial companies that are already on the frontlines of the hydrogen revolution, such as DOW, Shell, and CF Industries.

Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune commented on the University’s new program made possible by their being a part of the South Louisiana H2theFuture Energy Transformation Coalition by saying, “we are proud to be a member of the H2theFuture initiative and so appreciative of this generous grant. Engineering Technology is a field in demand in our service region, and this will provide the opportunity to earn a degree at Nicholls for these ever-important jobs.”

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Over The Next Two Years, Lake Charles Is Expected to Grow Economically

In the past two years, Lake Charles has been hit with a series of setbacks. First, there were pandemic restrictions that changed and slowed normal proceedings, and then tumultuous natural disasters struck the area. The local economy has been pummeled as a result, but according to this article from The Advocate that details an economic forecast released by the State of Louisiana recently, things have finally begun to show signs of turning around.

In his annual report, economist Dr. Loren Scott predicts that over a period of the next two years, the Lake Charles area will be the fastest-growing area in Louisiana. When asked about his prediction, Dr. Scott said, “the total percentage improvement is, actually, remarkably large,” and he also indicated a projected 7% increase in employment growth over the next two years.

The Lake Charles metropolitan area, which comprises both Cameron and Calcasieu Parish, has seen some growth over the years, but it still has a lot of “catching up to do” in order to account for much of the dramatic growth that’s projected for the area over the next few years.

Other areas of the state have been able to recoup most of the employment losses from the pandemic, but Lake Charles is still second only to Houma in terms of jobs lost. They both slowed their recovery process by dealing with Hurricanes Laura and Ida in 2020 and 2021. Today, the employment rate in the Lake Charles area remains at 57%, which is below the pre-pandemic employment rate.

Dr. Scott, who has done research on natural gas and petrochemical construction projects, predicts an estimated $36 billion worth of capital spending in the Lake Charles Metropolitan area to be made by Spring 2023, which will be attributed to final investment decisions on construction projects. Essentially, by 2023, large construction projects in the natural gas and petrochemical sector, which are expected to carry much of the area’s projected growth, will create a significant demand for construction workers.

Not all of that demand will be met locally, but Dr. Loren Scott argues it will still provide a much-needed jumpstart to the local economy, thus providing a much-needed huge jolt. Temporary construction jobs and the much-lower permanent jobs created by these projects in the region will, in turn, stimulate other economic sectors, primarily in the areas of retail, leisure, and hospitality.

Even though other sectors struggled at first due to the restrictions brought on by a pandemic and later because of the population loss that came as a result of Hurricanes Laura and Ida in 2020 and 2021, respectively, the oil and gas industries have been able to provide a steady stream of tax revenue and employment for Lake Charles these past two years. Dr. Loren Scott said, “they’ve got a lot to recover from and because they have a lot to recover from, that’s going to boost their numbers up.”

Jim Rock is the Executive Director of the Lake Area Industry Alliance, a representative of the energy and petrochemical companies operating locally, and he commented on the resilience of the oil and gas industries by saying, “their resiliency is what distinguishes them. The sales taxes paid, the property taxes paid, they’re very constant, very dependable.”

Often overlooked for its potential impact on the region’s economy, the Chennault International Airport is also poised for significant growth in the next few years. Chennault International Airport is not a transit hub for passengers; instead, it is a maintenance resource that services and repairs airplanes while also serving as an “overhaul site” for airplanes in the area.

Northrop Grumman and LandLocked Aviation are currently in discussions to create contracts that would allow them to hire 375 new employees for their Lake Charles operation. In order to help with the projected economic growth, there are expected to be some major changes made in the regional workforce housing stock, a process that has been brought about due to the delaying of federal aid.

For more Louisiana-related articles, click here.