BATON ROUGE, La., (KNOE 8 News) - Louisiana's stated plan to ensure all students are on track to attain a college degree or a professional career got a major boost today.
In Washington, a key component of the state's plan, Louisiana's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver application, won approval from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE).
Louisiana was one of eight states to get the go ahead today in Round Two of the waiver request. The federal waivers allow districts and schools to exercise flexibility from federal ESEA regulations, in exchange for instituting rigorous accountability systems.
The new law expands the Louisiana Student Scholarships for Excellence Program statewide, establishes alternative routes for charter organizations to secure authorizations, and gives Louisiana's students and families the option of enrolling in state-funded courses via approved course providers.
Similarly, the state has ended the practice of prescribing daily teaching activities and textbook choices for schools. And, by virtue of Act 1, principals and superintendents now have legal empowerment to make choices about who is best to serve in their classrooms. The new statute allows districts and schools to use measures of teacher effectiveness to guide personnel policies and decisions and calls for teachers to be compensated based on experience, license area, and effectiveness, without decreasing any teacher's salary or affecting retirement. The statute further preserves tenure for current teachers, except the small number who earn an "Ineffective" rating. The approved waiver application will grant superintendents and principals similar levels of autonomy over the use of $375 million in federal funding - dollars historically tied up in government mandates and regulations.
Specifically, the accountability system approved today is based on the following principles:
Aligns with Common Core levels of rigor:
K-8 schools will no longer earn points for students who score below proficient on state tests (e.g., Basic on LEAP/iLEAP). The high school system further places value on the ACT, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate examinations, which align to Common Core rigor.
Rewards the gains schools have already achieved:
The model proposed is not intended to change the letter grades schools would have achieved at their current level of performance. By awarding points for specific measures based on what the state anticipates schools will score, the model holds school letter grades nearly constant, all the while raising the bar for future performance.
Focuses schools on students below grade level:
A new value-added system will reward schools for effectively advancing the progress of students who are below grade level. (Currently, 225,000 students are below grade level in Louisiana.)
Furthermore, the waiver application approved today affords districts and schools the following funding flexibility:
Provides spending flexibility for Title I funds by:
Removing the requirement to spend 20% of Title I on Supplemental Education Services (SES);
Removing the requirement to spend 10% of Title I funds on professional development;
Removing the transfer limitation so that 100% of funds from ESEA-authorized programs may be transferred to Title I; and
Allowing Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to redirect Title I dollars to concentrate on funding activities that will positively impact student performance.
Allows Title I schools below the 40% poverty threshold to operate school-wide programs, thereby allowing additional schools the flexibility to enhance the entire educational program at a Title I school;
Allows priority high schools (high schools transferred to the jurisdiction of the Recovery School District) with graduation rates below 60% to be served with Title I funds regardless of rank order;
Lifts spending restrictions on Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) funds, thereby allowing LEAs more flexibility in utilizing REAP dollars regardless of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status; and
Permits 21st Century Community Learning Centers to provide expanded learning time during the school day, rather than just before or after school hours.
In addition to the significant funding flexibilities, the ESEA Waiver allows for the removal of federally-created bureaucratic burdens on district and school leaders. Effective immediately, districts will no longer need to submit burdensome federal reports, such as 1003(a) School Improvement Plans or Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) Target Improvement Plans.
Changes to align current policies to the waiver application approved by the USDOE will be considered by the BESE beginning in June. In the meantime, today's announcement was welcomed by state and local education leaders.
To access Louisiana's ESEA wavier application, please click here. For more information, please click here.
Friday, May 17 2013 12:09 PM EDT2013-05-17 16:09:18 GMT
FARMERVILLE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The family of a Farmerville teen who died at football practice last week says it is overwhelmed by the community's gratitude.
FARMERVILLE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The family of a Farmerville teen who died at football practice last week says it is overwhelmed by the community's gratitude.
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Monroe's first Bayou Desiard Dragon Boat Festival is here."It's something that I saw in another town and I really wanted to bring it to Monroe. You know, we could not have done
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Dragon boat racing kicks off this Saturday and the proceeds are going to a good cause.
Friday, May 17 2013 7:00 PM EDT2013-05-17 23:00:20 GMT
JEFFERSON, TX. (KNOE 8 News) - We know from history that Federal forces marched up the Red River, intending to capture Shreveport in 1864. They were turned back by Confederates at the Battle of Mansfield.
JEFFERSON, TX. (KNOE 8 News) - We know from history that Federal forces marched up the Red River, intending to capture Shreveport in 1864.
Friday, May 17 2013 7:24 PM EDT2013-05-17 23:24:29 GMT
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) – Jeane Gonzales has lived in the same house for nearly 40 years, but now she is facing a major problem. A leak is coming from her home's water meter.
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) – Jeane Gonzales has lived in the same house for nearly 40 years, but now she is facing a major problem. A leak is coming from her home's water meter.
