Tag: Louisiana Department of Education

Louisiana Education Shines Nationally: Fourth Place in New Study

The Louisiana education system has achieved remarkable progress, ranking fourth nationally in a newly revisited study based on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the Nation’s Report Card, as per this new release from The Louisiana Department of Education. This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy as it represents a significant leap from the state’s 20th-place ranking in a similar analysis from 2019. The report highlights Louisiana’s commitment to improving education outcomes while addressing demographic factors that impact student performance.

The study, conducted by the Urban Institute, adjusts NAEP scores based on demographic variables such as income levels, ethnicity, language barriers, and exceptionalities. This method aims to provide a clearer picture of how well states are supporting their students relative to those with similar challenges. Published since 2015, this analysis offers a nuanced understanding of educational performance across the nation, emphasizing growth and equity.

The 2022 NAEP marked the first time the assessment was administered since 2019, after being paused due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. This return provided a critical opportunity to measure how states have rebounded in key academic areas. Louisiana’s adjusted ranking of fourth overall reflects a strong recovery and targeted efforts to support students and teachers. The results highlight Louisiana’s ability to make strides not only in overall performance but also in closing achievement gaps for underserved populations.

The NAEP results align with other indicators of Louisiana’s educational success. A joint study by Harvard and Stanford noted that Louisiana’s reading scores in 2023 were higher than in 2019, making it one of only three states to achieve this milestone. The study also praised Louisiana’s math recovery, which surpassed national trends.

Additionally, the state moved from 46th to 40th in U.S. News & World Report’s Best States rankings for PK-12 education, reflecting improvements across multiple metrics. Louisiana has also seen three consecutive years of growth in its school performance scores, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and reaching a new statewide high under the current evaluation system.

Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s State Superintendent of Education, credited a “back-to-basics” approach for these achievements. He explained that the state’s efforts to support teachers and focus on fundamental student outcomes have driven this progress. However, he emphasized that there is still work to be done, noting that Louisiana is committed to making bold decisions to sustain and accelerate its upward trajectory.

One area of focus has been early literacy. Louisiana ranked first in a national list recognizing states with comprehensive policies to promote foundational reading skills. These policies aim to ensure students can achieve academic success and reach their full potential.

The Nation’s Report Card serves as the most comprehensive and representative assessment of student performance in the United States. Administered biennially since 2003, it evaluates fourth and eighth graders in reading and math. As the “gold standard” of student assessments, NAEP provides valuable insights into how well states prepare their students for future academic and professional success.

While the 2022 NAEP showed troubling declines in many states due to the pandemic, Louisiana stood out by avoiding dramatic losses and achieving notable growth. These results highlight the resilience of Louisiana’s students and educators, as well as the effectiveness of targeted policies and interventions. With the next NAEP assessment scheduled for 2024 and results expected in early 2025, Louisiana has an opportunity to build on its recent successes. Continued investment in teacher support, literacy initiatives, and equitable resources will be critical to maintaining this momentum.

Louisiana’s rise in national rankings demonstrates the power of focused, data-driven strategies in transforming education systems. By addressing demographic challenges head-on and prioritizing foundational skills, the state is paving the way for sustained academic growth and opportunity for all students.

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West Feliciana Parish Schools Earns Statewide Acclaim for Tutoring Innovation

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has honored West Feliciana Parish Schools with the prestigious Models of Excellence designation for its exemplary implementation of high-dosage tutoring, as seen in this new release. This recognition highlights the district’s commitment to bridging learning gaps and preparing students for academic success through innovative and targeted educational strategies. The award was presented to Superintendent Hollis Milton by State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley during a ceremony held at Bains Elementary School.

West Feliciana Parish Schools has distinguished itself by significantly increasing student participation in the state’s Accelerate: High-Dosage Tutoring program. This initiative, aimed at addressing gaps in student learning, provides focused support in literacy and mathematics. Superintendent Milton emphasized that this program allowed the district to enhance the quality of its instruction and reach more students than ever before.

Dr. Brumley commended West Feliciana for its leadership in demonstrating how strategic tutoring can drive academic achievement, describing the effort as bold and transformative. He also highlighted the state’s commitment to expanding access to high-dosage tutoring, ensuring students across Louisiana benefit from this critical support.

West Feliciana’s success stems from a comprehensive and well-structured tutoring model, featuring:

The Louisiana Legislature has invested $30 million to support the Accelerate: High-Dosage Tutoring initiative. This funding ensures that tutoring sessions occur during the school day, enabling students to benefit from additional instruction without extending their schedules.

Additionally, Louisiana has launched complementary programs like the Steve Carter Tutoring Program, which offers eligible students $1,500 digital vouchers for tutoring services outside the school day. Since its inception in late 2022, this program has facilitated over 122,000 tutoring sessions, underscoring the high demand for academic support.

The Louisiana Models of Excellence program  celebrates schools and districts that exemplify the state’s educational priorities. By sharing success stories and creating partnerships, the initiative aims to inspire and guide other districts in adopting innovative practices. West Feliciana Parish Schools is now part of an elite group of districts that have received this honor, including East Feliciana Public Schools, Rapides Parish Schools, and others.

West Feliciana Parish Schools’ recognition as a Model of Excellence reflects its unwavering dedication to student success and its commitment to continuous improvement in education. By embracing high-dosage tutoring, the district has created a scalable and effective model for addressing learning gaps and preparing students for academic challenges. This honor not only highlights the innovative strategies used by the district but also serves as a powerful testament to what can be achieved when educators, parents, and students work collaboratively toward shared goals.

The district’s approach demonstrates that with the right tools, training, and focus, it is possible to significantly improve student outcomes even in the face of challenges like pandemic learning gaps. West Feliciana Parish Schools has proven that strategic planning and targeted interventions can transform education for the better, offering a roadmap for other districts across Louisiana to follow. As a shining example of the potential of high-dosage tutoring, the district’s success underscores the importance of investing in programs that prioritize equity and access to quality education.

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Rewarding Excellence: How LEADS Is Changing Teacher Evaluations

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) recently unveiled a significant overhaul of the state’s educator evaluation system, aimed at recognizing and supporting the diverse needs of teachers across the state, as per this news release. The new system, known as the Louisiana Educator Advancement and Development System (LEADS), represents a modern shift from the outdated practices of the past. Designed to both reward effective teachers and provide tailored support to those in need, LEADS is set to transform how teachers are evaluated, ultimately improving recruitment and retention in the education sector.

LEADS emerged from the recognition that the previous evaluation system, COMPASS, no longer served the diverse needs of educators in Louisiana. Under COMPASS, all teachers, regardless of their experience or past performance, were observed twice a year. This one-size-fits-all approach often led to inefficiencies, with little differentiation between seasoned educators and those still finding their footing in the profession. LEADS, on the other hand, introduces a more customized and responsive system that acknowledges the varying levels of experience and effectiveness among teachers.

One of the most notable aspects of the LEADS system is its emphasis on differentiation. Teachers with at least three years of experience who receive a high score on their first observation are given the option to forgo further observations for the rest of the school year. This approach rewards effective educators by reducing the time they spend in mandatory observations, allowing them more freedom to focus on their teaching. In contrast, newer teachers, or those who need additional support, receive more frequent observations—three times a year—to ensure they are getting the guidance necessary to develop their skills.

Louisiana State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Cade Brumley, highlighted the importance of this shift, noting that teachers have a profound impact on student learning. He emphasized that the new system is designed to honor those who excel in their craft while simultaneously providing the necessary support for new teachers to grow within their profession. The ultimate goal is to create an environment where all educators, regardless of experience level, are empowered to succeed.

Another key component of the LEADS system is its focus on providing more timely, useful, and actionable feedback to educators. The previous system often failed to deliver feedback that could genuinely enhance teaching practices. However, LEADS incorporates evidence-based practices and multiple measures to ensure that evaluations are both fair and transparent. Teachers are encouraged to engage in self-reflection and are given a voice in the evaluation process, making it more collaborative than ever before.

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jenna Chiasson emphasized that these improvements are crucial for fostering the continuous growth and development of educators across the state. By building upon existing initiatives, LEADS aims to create stronger connections between evaluation and professional learning, ensuring that teachers receive the resources and support they need to improve their instructional practices. The expanded five-point rating scale introduced by LEADS offers more room for growth, allowing educators to see a clear path to improvement.

The development of LEADS was a comprehensive process that involved extensive feedback from educators across Louisiana. In 2022, the LDOE conducted a discovery survey involving over 8,000 educators and school leaders. The survey revealed that more than half of the participants did not feel that the existing evaluation system provided feedback that was truly beneficial for improving their instructional quality. Additionally, many educators expressed a strong desire for more opportunities for professional growth and development.

In conclusion, the introduction of LEADS marks a significant step forward for educator evaluation in Louisiana. By prioritizing differentiated support, improved feedback, and professional growth, the LDOE aims to create a system that not only recognizes and rewards effective teaching but also supports the development of all educators. As the state moves towards full implementation in 2025-2026, it is clear that LEADS has the potential to make a lasting impact onthe quality of education in Louisiana.

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The Future of Inclusive Education in Louisiana

In a promising development for education in the state of Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has been granted a $10 million award aimed at creating an inclusive education experience revolutionizing career prospects for students with disabilities, as per this news release. This generous grant is part of a broader initiative called “Pathways to Partnerships,” initiated by the U.S. Department of Education, which spans 20 states and seeks to foster collaborations between various agencies. The primary objective is to facilitate a seamless transition into life beyond high school for individuals with disabilities.

Dr. Cade Brumley, the State Superintendent of Education in Louisiana, expressed his enthusiasm for the inclusive education project, stating, “We are excited about this opportunity to further support students with disabilities as they transition to successful lives beyond high school.” It’s part of a comprehensive plan to improve special education across the stateby enhancing the quality of programming and expanding access to resources and services for both students and their families.

Louisiana’s approach to this inclusive education initiative involves piloting a collaborative framework between high schools and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS). The central aim of this pilot program is to streamline the transition into careers for individuals with disabilities. Key components include providing thorough training to students in career exploration and job readiness. Moreover, the project will place a strong emphasis on innovative activities that create opportunities for students, such as internships and apprenticeships.

Dr. Brumley’s commitment to transforming the state’s educational landscape extends beyond this grant. In a letter issued to system leaders in August, he outlined several crucial steps that the LDOE is taking to modernize special education systems and processes. These measures include:

Special Education Playbook: This resource, which has already garnered recognition from education experts nationwide, condenses years of research into three best instructional practices to support students with disabilities. It serves as a guide and a call to action, aiming to close achievement gaps for these students. The LDOE is actively engaged in supporting school systems with its implementation through a statewide tour.

Enhanced Family Support: The LDOE is establishing a Special Education Ombudsman who can hold confidential conversations with parents. Additionally, an extra complaint investigator is being added to bolster support.

Enhanced Teacher and Leader Support: This involves providing technical support through statewide access to special education law and compliance training. The LDOE will also deploy staff to support school systems with special education compliance. In more severe cases, a special master with direct oversight authority may be placed within a system to ensure comprehensive program enhancements.

The Pathways to Partnerships program, administered by the ED’s Rehabilitation Services Administration, represents a substantial commitment to the improvement of education and career prospects for individuals with disabilities. As the largest discretionary grant of its kind, it underscores Louisiana’s ongoing commitment to extending access to high school credentials, post-secondary education, and employment opportunities through various graduation pathways.

The path to success is carefully mapped out, with full funding awarded to successful applicants for a five-year project period. This long-term commitment allows recipients to pilot, refine, and implement their proposed projects, all while collecting and analyzing crucial project data.

The $10 million grant awarded to the Louisiana Department of Education signifies a momentous step towards fostering better inclusive educational and career opportunities for students with disabilities. Dr. Cade Brumley’s leadership and the multi-faceted approach taken by the LDOE demonstrate their unwavering commitment to improving special education systems and ensuring a brighter future for these students. In our ever-evolving educational landscape, initiatives like Pathways to Partnerships provide hope for a more inclusive and equitable future. Louisiana’s journey towards improved opportunities for students with disabilities stands as an exemplary model for other states to follow.

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LDOE Partners with Crimestoppers School Safety Program

It was recently announced via a news release from the Louisiana Department of Education, that the LDOE will be partnering with Crimestoppers GNO in a school safety effort to make violent incidents easier to prevent and report. The goal is for the LDOE to encourage their school systems to adopt the free Crimestoppers GNO Safe Schools Louisiana Program and its accompanying Say It Here mobile app for middle and high schools. The Louisiana State Police, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and Crimestoppers GNO are offering the Safe Schools Louisiana Program to all middle and high schools around the state of Louisiana.

Crimestoppers Safe Schools Louisiana is what is known as a “turnkey program.” The usability of the program is described as being as easy to set up as it is powerful. The program’s mobile app, “Say It Here,” allows its users to report bullying, violence, criminal activity, and mental health issues with complete anonymity. Users can even upload videos and photos of incidents they feel are going unnoticed. Tips that are reported in the “Say it Here” app are processed by a 24-hour multidisciplinary team, 7 days a week. The tips, which are identified by schools, are monitored, vetted, and then sent to the appropriate representatives for proper engagement. If there’s an emergency at any of the safe schools, the safe schools team will be notified immediately for both response and intervention.

In explaining the state’s need for school safety and intercepting threats via the app, Louisiana Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley said, “too often when violence happens on a school campus, someone knew about the attack before it happened. Safe Schools Louisiana is a fast, easy, and anonymous way for people who see something to say something.”

Currently, the Louisiana Department of Education has 40 school systems, and over 500 schools and middle and high-school students that are active participants in the Safe Schools Louisiana program. The program can be implemented in 15 days or less through the following steps. First, the school system signs the initial Memorandum of Understanding, then the school system tip administrative team is identified and trained, and lastly, students are trained to use the app.

In order to help with onboarding, Crimestoppers GNO provides virtual and online training, as well as posters and other items to promote the resource. They also work with schools to embrace the concept of using the anonymous reporting app during special prevention-themed months such as October’s Anti-Bullying Day, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Red Ribbon Week.

In order to make effective use of the Crimestoppers Safe Schools Louisiana program, schools use multidisciplinary teams. Every school team is set to include someone from law enforcement and a lead from mental health or behavioral health in order to direct a student’s path to success. The multidisciplinary team can also request action if any issues are deemed criminal, mention threats of self-harm, or need another specialty’s orientation.

Crimestoppers GNO has operated anonymous criminal reporting resources for over 40 years, and they’ve provided resources and worked in area schools for over 18 years. Crimestoppers GNO serves to follow nationally-recognized best practices on the implementation, processing, and prevention programs. Partnering with the Safe School Louisiana Program provides Crimestoppers GNO with, according to the statement, “a unique opportunity to better understand and embrace the character and needs of our great state.”

As notified in the release, the following Louisiana schools are already implementing Safe Schools Louisiana or are beginning the school safety adoption process: Acadia Parish, Assumption Parish, Avoyelles Parish, Bogalusa City Schools, Bossier Parish, Caldwell Parish, Cameron Parish Central Community School, City of Baker School District, Claiborne Parish, Concordia Parish, East Feliciana Parish, Evangeline Parish, Franklin Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Lafourche Parish, LaSalle Parish, Livingston Parish, Monroe City Schools, Natchitoches Parish, NOLA Public Schools, Pointe Coupee Parish, Rapides Parish, Sabine Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. Helena Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Vermilion Parish, Washington Parish, Webster Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Winn Parish, and Zachary Community Schools.

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LEAP Achievement Increases in Louisiana School Districts

Just before the start of the 2022-2023 school year, the Louisiana Department of Education released the achievement data derived from 2021-22 LEAP scores, and according to this news release from the LADOE, the released scores showed immensely strong student growth across a wide array of both grade levels and school systems.

Quite a few highlights of success were obtained after interpreting the results of the LEAP assessments that were administered during the 2021-22 school year. Some of these highlights include the Mastery rates of achievement that were earned by students in grades 3-8 had improved by 3 solid points in both math and English Language Arts (ELA). Furthermore, 80% of Louisiana school systems improved their mastery rate when compared to their LEAP data from the previous school year, 2020-21.

This data was derived from the results of the LEAP 2025 annual assessment of ELA, math, science, and social studies that is administered to students in grades 3-12. The LEAP 2025 tests aim to measure the knowledge and skills as they are defined by the state’s content standard for each grade. Students have their scores of achievement reported across five levels: Unsatisfactory, Approaching Basic, Basic, Mastery, or Advanced. Those students who score Mastery or Advanced are considered to be proficient and ready for the next grade level.

Louisiana State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley commented on the successes shown in the data by saying, “after the impact of a global pandemic and two of the strongest hurricanes in our state’s history, Louisiana’s students are back on their feet. K-12 education is on the rise in Louisiana because we kept schools open, strategically allocated resources, and developed innovative solutions to recover and accelerate student learning. This progress is a true testament to the dedication of our educators to maintain high standards for students no matter the circumstance. We still have work to do before we’ve fully recovered from the impact of the last two years, but there’s excitement among our teachers and leaders to close that gap and continue moving our students forward.”

Outside of the two milestones of success highlighted above, the release testing date indicated that this past school year, fewer students scored Unsatisfactory, which included an impressive 3-point decrease in students who scored Unsatisfactory in math. Additionally, Mastery rates had improved across all individual subject areas for grades 3-12, and Mastery rates improved among numerous student subgroups. Some of these student subgroups that saw improvement were students with economic disadvantages, students with disabilities, and Asian, African American, and white students.

Just some of the Louisiana school districts that have ranked among the top 10 public school districts in Louisiana for the percentage of students in grades 3-12 who scored Mastery or Advanced on the state’s accountability exams are Calcasieu Parish, Jefferson Parish, Lafourche Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Charles Parish, and St. Tammany Parish. The immense amount of improvement was felt across the state; for instance, Livingston Parish Public Schools saw that 41% of their students had scored at the highest two achievement levels on the LEAP 2025 assessments.

Livingston Parish Superintendent Joe Murphy commented on the achievement by saying, “Our district has held strong through the continuing pandemic and recent hurricane disruptions. It is our goal as a district to grow from these strong positions and continue to improve performance at all levels.” Furthermore, Lafourche Parish Superintendent Jarod Martin commented on his district’s success by saying, “I couldn’t be prouder. I thought we would take a step back given the challenges we faced. I can honestly say that we expected that. But these numbers reflect a step forward and they far exceeded our expectations. We are just so tremendously proud of the accomplishments given the challenges we’ve faced.”

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