• Three Wishes for 2012
• New Orleans Startup Boom
• Local Education News
• National Education Stories
• Louisiana Updates

Educate Now! wishes you and yours a healthy and joyous 2012.

For education reform in New Orleans, Educate Now! has three wishes for 2012.

Wish #1: Academic gains continue at a robust pace.

Wish #2: The new centralized RSD enrollment process goes well.

Wish #3: The Orleans Parish School Board recognizes its role as Resource Manager for the entire system of schools in Orleans Parish. As our Resource Manager, OPSB:

New Orleans Startup Boom

In Katrina’s Wake, New Orleans Enjoys Startup Boom
NPR – December 29, 2011
Pre-Katrina, New Orleans lagged the nation in startups, but today it exceeds the national average by about 30 percent. Organizations like Idea Village, 504ward and the Urban League are all working to see New Orleans keeps growing its intellectual talent.

Local Education News

Four Public School Principals Turned Around Their Failing Schools in New Orleans
Gambit Weekly – January 3, 2011
Four principals are recognized by Gambit for “whole school” turnarounds: Sharon Clark of Sophie B. Wright Charter, Doris Roche Hicks of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter, Mary Laurie of O. Perry Walker, and Rene Lewis-Carter of Martin Behrman Charter. Educate Now! congratulates all four of these remarkable women for doing such an incredible job.

Paul Vallas, Former New Orleans Schools Chief, Takes Job in Connecticut
The Times-Picayune – December 21, 2011
Paul Vallas is the new interim school superintendent in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Although Bridgeport has about half as many students as New Orleans, it still offers plenty of challenges, including an $8 million budget shortfall, a power struggle over who will govern public education in the city, and dismal scores on state exams.

Though Praised by Some, New System for Enrollment in RSD Schools Draws Critics
The Lens – December 20, 2011
The new, centralized enrollment system is intended to bring clarity and to better match families with their preferred schools, but some worry what will happen when there are not enough spaces at the highest performing schools.

Recovery School District Releases Final Decisions on School Sites
The Times-Picayune – December 20, 2011
The Recovery School District released a list of final decisions on where its schools will be housed once the roughly $2 billion school construction push comes to a close.

Orleans Parish School Board Defers Decision on Charter School Applicants
The Times-Picayune – December 20, 2011
Seven groups applied for charter schools through the Orleans Parish School Board, but OPSB has delayed its decision for another month. School Board Superintendent Darryl Kilbert recommends that the board turn down all of them, acting on the advice of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, a national organization that reviews applications.

James Meza Emerges as a Reformist Schools Superintendent in Jefferson Parish
The Times-Picayune – January 3, 2011
James Meza has held many roles: Colonel in the Army National Guard, Acting State Superintendent of Education, Dean of UNO’s College of Education. In his current role as interim superintendent, James Meza, Jr. is taking a new approach to improving schools in Jefferson Parish. He is placing more weight on achievement than seniority in hiring and firing personnel. He is also promoting more autonomy for principals and is an advocate for more charter schools in Jefferson Parish.

National Education Stories

Charter Schools Closure Rate Tops 15 Percent
Center for Education Reform – December 21, 2011
A national analysis of charter school closures finds that historically charter schools have a 15% closure rate, refuting the claim that bad charter schools don’t ever close. There are five primary reasons for charter closures – financial (41.7%), mismanagement (24%), academic (18.6%), district obstacles (6.3%) and facilities (4.6%).

Louisiana Updates

Leaders Hope to Move La from Next-to-last to National Average in College-credit HS Work
Associated Press – December 22, 2011
State education leaders have set a new goal for the number of students passing at least one Advanced Placement exam in high school. By 2017, they hope to move Louisiana from next-to-last nationally to at least the national average (16.9%) for students earning college credit in high school.

Louisiana Wins Race to the Top Education Grant
The Times-Picayune – December 23, 2011
Louisiana won $17.4 million in the latest round of the federal Race to the Top competition. The funds will go toward a new statewide teacher evaluation system, making the transition to common academic standards mandated by the federal government, and to initiatives focused on improving science, technology, engineering and math education. Of Louisiana’s 70 school districts, only 20 opted to participate in the application, including the RSD but not the OPSB.

• New Orleans is WSJ’s Most Improved City for Business
• Cowen Institute Releases Two Assessments of Progress
• Centralized Enrollment System
• Other Local New Orleans Stories
• Around Louisiana
• National Education News
• New Orleans Think Tank Aims to Reshape Public Education

New Orleans is WSJ’s Most Improved City for Business

WSJ: New Orleans Business – Most Improved in 2011
The Wall Street Journal – December 13, 2011
According to the Wall Street Journal‘s Marketwatch, New Orleans is the most improved metropolitan area for economic competitiveness. The Journal examined 102 metropolitan communities and compared unemployment rates, cost of living and personal income growth. In just two years, New Orleans has moved from dead last to the top third of the class.

Cowen Institute Releases Two Assessments of Progress

K-12 Public Education through the Public Eye: Parents’ Perception of School Choice
This poll of public school parents conducted by Tulane’s Cowen Institute shows that parent perception of public schools in New Orleans is increasingly positive: 74% of public school parents in New Orleans feel schools are getting better, 90% agree it is important to be able to choose which public school their child attends, and 86% believe that information on school options is readily available. Over two-thirds of parents applied to only one school. Parents of students with special needs were more likely to be dissatisfied with the registration process, and parents of children in traditional schools (as opposed to charters) were less satisfied overall. Read more about the survey in this Times-Picayune article.

Transforming Public Education in New Orleans: The Recovery School District 2003-2011
This Cowen Institute report is the most comprehensive on the RSD to date, tracing the history and accomplishments of the RSD from its creation in 2003 to today. The report concludes that while the RSD has accomplished a great deal (the number of students attending a failing school has dropped from 71% pre-Katrina to just 33% in the RSD in 2011), there is still much to be done. Read more about the Cowen report in this Education Week article.

Centralized Enrollment System

Recovery School District Officials Describe New Central Enrollment System
The Times-Picayune – December 8, 2011
Beginning with the 2012-13 school year, the RSD will implement a centralized enrollment system for all RSD schools (direct-run and charter). Parents will fill out one application and will rank their top eight choices for schools; all applications will be processed at the same time; half of the seats in each K-8 school will be set aside for students living in the area; and siblings of current students will get preference at their school of choice.

Lessons in School Choice: What the RSD’s Unified Enrollment System Can Learn from Other Cities
The Cowen Institute – December 6, 2011
Tulane’s Cowen Institute looked at open enrollment systems in four cities and came up with several suggestions for the RSD, which include: provide resources for parents to identify the best school(s) for their children, help them navigate the new system, and have a plan for how best to handle students and families who do not get their first choice of school.

Other Local New Orleans Stories

Orleans Parish School Board Approves $79 Million Bond Sale for New Construction
The Times-Picayune – December 15, 2011
The OPSB voted to issue $79 million in bonds to help finance school construction. While the bonds are, practically speaking, interest free, each public school in the city shares the cost of the bond repayment. RSD Superintendent John White is deeply disappointed that the RSD was not included in the OPSB’s decision-making process when RSD schools will also be responsible for paying back the debt. Editor’s note: The OPSB needs to work with the RSD to clearly identify how these funds will be used for the benefit of RSD schools as well as OPSB schools and to identify a funding source for capital repairs.

Orleans School Board Decision Means Less Tax Revenue for Charter Schools, and They’re Mad
The Times-Picayune – December 11, 2011
The Orleans Parish School Board oversees only 17 schools, but it still sets the local property tax that provides financing for every public school in New Orleans. OPSB’s decision to not “roll forward” its millage meant a loss of close to $5 million of new revenue for schools. Charter advocates were surprised by the Board’s vote and are asking OPSB to reverse their decision when OPSB meets on December 15th. Editor’s note: At the meeting on the 15th, the OPSB did not reconsider rolling forward the millage for the 2012 tax bill. However, they indicated they would consider rolling forward the millage for the 2013 tax bill. If they do, schools will see approximately a $120/student increase in MFP for the 2013-14 school year.

Louisiana Education Board Approves 9 New Charter School Operators for New Orleans
The Times-Picayune – December 7, 2011
The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has approved nine new charter applications, including three new high schools, a new operator for the city’s alternative high school and five new elementary schools. BESE also voted to pull the charters of two failing schools, McDonogh 42 and Sojourner Truth Academy.

New Orleans Charter School Frustrations Reach a Boil
The Times-Picayune – December 6, 2011
Of the 27 charter applications received this year, only 9 were approved by the state. New Orleans-based groups are frustrated that they keep getting turned down in favor of national charter networks that have more resources.

Is There Room for Black Leadership in New Orleans’ Charter School Movement?: Jarvis DeBerry
The Times-Picayune – December 18, 2011
Jarvis DeBerry looks at the disproportionate number of white principals and teachers educating the primarily black population of New Orleans and asks the question, “Is there a way to create a pipeline to bring young black teachers and school leaders to New Orleans.”

Around Louisiana

BESE Approves Teacher Evaluation Standards
The Associated Press – December 6, 2011
A new teacher evaluation system will go into effect in the 2012-13 school year. Under the new value-added system, 50% of a teacher’s score will be based on growth in student performance on standardized tests. The other 50% will continue to be based upon principal evaluations.

Ollie Tyler Leaving State Education Post
Shreveport Times – December 7, 2011
Ollie Tyler, acting superintendent of education for the Louisiana Department of Education, will be leaving the department at the end of January. Tyler has served as interim superintendent of education since Paul Pastorek’s resignation in May.

LEAP Tests Era to End
The Advocate – December 12, 2011
Louisiana is one of 45 states adopting a new curriculum based on “common core standards.” This change in curriculum will also mean a change in Louisiana’s student assessments. Current exams, such as the high-stakes LEAP test, will be phased out.

Education Change Will Test Gov. Bobby Jindal: John Maginnis
The Times-Picayune – December 7, 2011
Jindal has chosen to make education a top priority for his next term. This means his effectiveness as governor will be measured not only by whether he passes his legislative agenda, but also by whether students in Louisiana show academic improvement.

National Education News

Report Shows Dual Enrollment Best When on College Campus
Education Week – December 12, 2011
New research shows that high school students in dual-enrollment classes taken on college campuses are 12% more likely to go to college and 7% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree. Yet students who took dual-enrollment classes exclusively on a high school campus showed no statistically significant gains.

Charter School Enrollment: Two Million Students and Counting
The Hechinger Report – December 7, 2011
Charter schools now educate more than 2 million students nationwide, up from 1.8 million last year. This represents around 3.5% of the total K-12 student population in the United States.

The ‘Boy Problem’ Examined
Inside Higher Ed – December 6, 2011
An analysis of college graduation data shows a striking and substantial difference between the sexes in educational attainment, with women outpacing men in every demographic group. Interestingly, the largest gap between men and women in completing college is at the highest economic range – families making $85,000 or more per year.

Opinion: How to Rescue Education Reform
New York Times – December 5, 2011
These two education experts disagree on many things, but they do agree that the federal government should limit its role in education to what it does well: encouraging transparency for school performance and spending, ensuring that basic constitutional protections are respected, especially for disadvantaged or vulnerable populations, and supporting basic research.

To Stay Great, Never Forget Your Basics
New York Times – December 17, 2011
Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the nonprofit Harlem Children’s Zone, offers some excellent insight into managing schools and discusses some of the leadership challenges he has faced over the years.

States Creating New Districts to Steer ‘Turnarounds’
Education Week – December 12, 2011
Education leaders in Michigan and Tennessee are drawing on the experiences of Louisiana’s Recovery School District and building special “turnaround” districts to take over their lowest performing schools.

New Orleans Think Tank Aims to Reshape Public Education

School of Thought
Gambit Weekly – December 13, 2011
A think tank in downtown New Orleans is paying people to come up with new, innovative ideas to transform public education and remake it for the 21st century.

In this edition of In the News:

• The Daily Comes to New Orleans
• Louisiana Education Reform: What’s Next?
• Charter School News
• National Education Stories
• Focus on Teach For America

The Daily Comes to New Orleans
The national, online magazine The Daily profiled education reform in New Orleans and how we are working to retain the young talent in the city. This three part series highlights Sci Academy as a new charter start-up (part 1), the teachers who are the cornerstone of the school’s success (part 2), and the influx of new, young people to the city (part 3).

Save Our Schools Part I: New Orleans’ New Start
The Daily – November 26, 2011

Save Our Schools, Part II: In a Class of Their Own
The Daily – November 27, 2011

Save Our Schools, Part III: Big Easy Dreams
The Daily – November 28, 2011

Louisiana Education Reform: What’s Next?

Jindal Sets Education Goals
The Advocate – December 4, 2011
Although the Governor is not yet ready to release his formal education agenda, he has begun discussing some of his goals, which include improved teacher quality (tenure reform), more school choices for parents (expansion of vouchers) and more flexibility for schools in spending (giving principals more authority).

Analysis: Lawmakers Needed for Education Policy in Louisiana
New Orleans CityBusiness – November 28, 2011
While voters overwhelmingly showed support for education reform in the recent BESE elections, change will not happen without the support of Louisiana legislators. Real reform in Louisiana’s public schools will require changes to Louisiana’s laws.

Teacher Rating Plan Progressing
The Advocate – December 4, 2011
A new, controversial teacher rating plan is expected to be approved by BESE this week. Under the new plan, 50% of a teacher’s performance rating will include a value-added component based on students’ standardized test scores. The balance will continue to be based on formal and informal classroom observations by principals.

Head of Recovery District to Visit EBR
The Advocate – December 4, 2011
RSD Superintendent John White is meeting with the East Baton Rouge School Board to discuss the future of their low performing schools. White has indicated he would like to replicate the RSD’s New Orleans strategy of turning as many low-performing schools as possible into charter schools, and if those schools do not work after two or three years, replacing those charter operators with new ones.

Gov. Bobby Jindal Stays Course with BESE Appointments
The Times-Picayune – December 3, 2011
Eight seats on the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are elected positions, but three seats are appointed by the governor. Jindal recently announced that he is sending all three of his previous appointees back for another term.

Higher Ed Changes Urged
The Advocate – November 30, 2011
A statewide higher education commission has agreed upon several controversial measures to be presented to the Legislature in January. The commission recommends that Louisiana separate the growing cost of college tuition from merit-based TOPS scholarships so the awards can be capped and then tied to an appropriate cost index for future increases. It also recommends increased authority for the Board of Regents as well as removing tuition authority from the Legislature.

Charter School News

9 Recovery School District Charter Applications Go to BESE With State Recommendation
The Times-Picayune - December 2, 2011
The state department of education is recommending that BESE approve 9 new applications to transform failing RSD schools into independent charters. Eighteen additional applications were not recommended for approval. To view all charter applications along with independent reviews from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, click here.

After conducting performance reviews of 12 existing charters, the department has recommended 10 charters be renewed. Two charter schools, Sojourner Truth Academy and McDonogh 42, have not met state standards, and the department is recommending that their charters be pulled.

Sojourner Truth Academy to Close in May
The Times-Picayune – November 29, 2011
The board of Sojourner Truth Academy has voluntarily agreed to give up its charter and will close at the end of this school year.

Group Wanting to Run L.B. Landry High School in Algiers Decries Rejection of its Charter Application
The Times-Picayune – December 2, 2011
The community group that has been campaigning to run L.B. Landry High School in Algiers is angry that their charter application was not recommended for approval. The Landry charter group is claiming politics, but independent reviewers of their application said the application was vague on proposed educational practices, convoluted in describing its organizational structure, and excessively dependant on credit for its financing strategy.

Tulane and KIPP Form Partnership to Help Boost Graduation Rates
The Times-Picayune – November 28, 2011
Tulane University and the national KIPP charter school organization have agreed to work together to improve college graduation rates for at-risk students. KIPP will help shape the curriculum for Tulane’s teacher certification program and provide hands-on teacher training in KIPP classrooms. In return, Tulane will set aside 10 slots each year for KIPP graduates from across the country, including those who attend KIPP schools in New Orleans.

Jefferson Parish Superintendent Endorses Two New Charter Schools
The Times-Picayune – December 2, 2011
Acting Superintendent James Meza has endorsed the creation of two new charter schools in Jefferson Parish. The parish received 13 applications for new public charter schools, but only 2 won approval from the independent reviewer, the International School of Louisiana and the Choice Foundation. Both currently operate charter schools in Orleans Parish.

National Education Stories

Seven States to Compete in Race to the Top’s Latest Round
Education Week – November 23, 2011
Louisiana is among seven states applying for a piece of the next round of Race to the Top funding, totaling $200 million. By mid-December, Louisiana will have to submit a budget for how the state will use the grant and, in a new twist, will also have explain its plans to improve science, technology, engineering, and math education.

Poor Schools Shortchanged on Funding, Ed. Dept. Say
Education Week – November 30, 2011
A new national study shows that many schools serving low-income children aren’t getting their fair share of funding. Nearly half of all high-poverty schools, including schools that get Title I money, receive at least 10% less than the average school in their district in state and local aid. More than 40% of Title I schools spend less on personnel per student than non-Title I schools in the same district with the same grades.

Study Links Academic Setbacks to Middle School Transition
Education Week – November 28, 2011
A recent Florida study shows that the transition to a new middle school is much more traumatic for students than the transition to a new high school. Students who transition in middle school show a marked drop in math and language achievement and are more inclined to drop out of high school. Educate Now! Note: Pre-Katrina, New Orleans had many K-5 schools feeding into large middle schools. Data showed New Orleans students suffered in that transition, which is why the state reopened schools post-Katrina in K-8 grade configurations.

Focus on Teach For America

Locally…

Teach for America Has Become Embedded in New Orleans Education
The Times-Picayune – November 27, 2011
The goal of Teach For America is not just to provide teachers for at-risk students but also to train future leaders in education. You can certainly see the results in Louisiana where the superintendent of the RSD, two of the RSD’s top deputies, the head of New Schools for New Orleans, and the recently elected BESE board member from New Orleans are all TFA alumni.

Nationally…

Big Expansion, Big Questions for Teach For America
The Associated Press – November 28, 2011
As Teach For America continues to expand nationally, and now internationally, this article takes a look at the pros and cons of TFA, what TFA corps members bring to a school, and the difficulties they face as they try to improve student performance.

• BESE Election Results
• Other Louisiana Stories
• Pizza Becomes a Political Hot Potato
• National Education News
• BESE Election Results

The BESE runoff elections were on Saturday, November 19th:

• Kira Orange Jones won District 2 (New Orleans, Jefferson and the River Parishes) with 57% of the vote, defeating incumbent Louella Givens.
• Incumbent Chas Roemer won District 6 (Baton Rouge area) with 57% of the vote, defeating Donald Songy.
• Carolyn Hill won District 8 (central Louisiana and Baton Rouge area) with 58% of the vote, defeating Jim Guillory.

For more information on the elections:

Big Easy Battle
The Daily – November 19, 2011

Kira Orange Jones Elected to BESE
The Times-Picayune – November 19, 2011

Reform Candidates Sweep BESE Runoffs
LaPolitics – November 20, 2011

Other Louisiana Stories

Does New Orleans Welcome Disabled Students?
NPR - November 15, 2011
This story looks at students with disabilities and the challenges their parents face navigating New Orleans’ new “system of schools.” Two families talk about their experiences, how one joined the class action lawsuit against Louisiana for discrimination against students with disabilities, and how both eventually found the right home for their children in charter schools.

Hurricane Katrina School Insurance-Money Division is Agreed Upon
The Times-Picayune – November 19, 2011
The Orleans Parish School Board and the RSD have settled their lawsuit on property insurance proceeds, agreeing that the remaining settlement funds will be used to finance projects in the Master Plan for school construction and renovation. The main litigation with insurance companies is still ongoing. View the report from the OPSB Business Meeting.

Louisiana Opts Not to Apply This Time for Waivers to the No Child Left Behind Act
The Times-Picayune – November 17, 2011
Louisiana did not apply in the first round of applications for waivers to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, but the state does plan to compete in the second round in February.

ABR to Seek Other Operators
The Advocate – November 21, 2011
Due to poor performance, five Baton Rouge schools run by the charter organization Advance Baton Rouge will be transitioned back to the state over the next couple of years and then eventually to new charter operators.

Pizza Becomes a Political Hot Potato

Congress Blocks New Rules on School Lunches
New York Times – November 15, 2011
Congress has rejected proposed changes to the school lunch program that would have forced schools to serve healthier food. The new rules would have added more fruits and vegetables, reduced the amount of potatoes (french fries) served, reduced the amount of sodium, and prevented schools from counting 1/8 cup of tomato paste on pizza as a vegetable.

Pizza Emerges as New Political Hot Potato
Education Week – November 8, 2011
A new agriculture spending bill, which passed both the House and Senate with bi-partisan support, has become a political hot potato due to its “pizza-protection provision.”

National Education News

Student Achievement, Observations Correlated in Chicago Pilot
Education Week – November 16, 2011
A new study of Chicago’s teacher evaluation pilot program compared the results of the new value-added model with principal observations. The study found that both methods identified the same teachers as particularly high- or low-performing, but principals struggled to provide support to teachers that needed help.

Ohio Voters Reject Law Limiting Teachers’ Collective Bargaining
Education Week – November 8, 2011
Ohio voters have rejected a law that would have blocked collective bargaining over class sizes and school assignments and would have forbidden districts from deciding layoffs based on last hired, first fired.

New Research Targets Teaching’s Diversity Gap
Center for American Progress – November 9, 2011
A new analysis of teacher diversity shows that while students of color make up 40% of the nation’s public school population, teachers of color make up only 17% of the teacher workforce. The report concludes that the U.S. needs to improve the professional experience for teachers of color. We also need to build on the success of alternate certification programs, such as Teach For America and The New Teacher Project, because one quarter of all African-American and Hispanic teachers currently come through these routes.

KIPP Charter Network Receives $25.5 Million From Walton Family Foundation
Education Week – November 15, 2011
The Walton Family Foundation is announcing its plans today to donate $25.5 million to the national KIPP charter network to help them double the number of students attending KIPP schools by 2015. The grant will help fund KIPP’s plan to train 750 KIPP educators to become founders, assistant principals, deans of students, special education directors, and other leaders for KIPP schools.

More Ind. School Takeovers Possible With New Rules
The Associated Press – November 17, 2011
Taking a page from Louisiana’s Recovery School District, the Indiana State Board of Education has begun transferring failing schools over to state control. Indiana is now considering new, tougher rules that could greatly expand the number of public schools subject to state takeover.

• The Future of RSD Schools
• New Orleans in the National News
• Mathematica Study Examines Charter Networks
• BESE Elections and the Next State Superintendent
• National Education Stories
• Local News

The Future of RSD Schools

Some RSD Schools Now Eligible to Return to OPSB
The Cowen Institute – October 24, 2011
Eight RSD schools have School Performance Scores high enough that they are now eligible to return to the Orleans Parish School Board. These schools must decide by December whether or not they want to return to OPSB.

Recovery School District Announces Which Schools It Will Charter Next Year
The Times-Picayune – November 1, 2011
State officials announced that they will convert the few remaining direct-run high schools in New Orleans to charter schools next year along with three more elementary schools. Exactly which charter operators will take over which schools won’t be settled until January.

RSD Schedules Public Meetings to Get Input on Schools Slated to Close or Become Charters
The Times-Picayune – November 1, 2011
The RSD has scheduled public meetings to get input from parents and community members on plans for RSD schools. Meetings will be held on the campuses of each school affected by the next round of closures and charter conversions. The RSD has prepared a Transformation Fact Sheet for each school.

Hot Seat: Superintendent John White Discusses RSD Improvements
WDSU TV – October 31, 2011
In this two part interview, RSD Superintendent John White discusses the improvements that have come to the school system in New Orleans, the challenges the RSD is facing, and his desire to create a portfolio of schools that will meet the many different needs of New Orleans students. View part 1. View part 2.

Reform 2.0 School Transformation — Building Meaningful Connections Between the Community and Its Schools
The New Orleans Agenda – November 3, 2011
The RSD promised to engage the community in critical decisions about schools. A group of local organizations, including the Black Alliance for Educational Options, the Neighborhood Partnership Network, the Orleans Public Education Network, and the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, wants to hold the RSD to its promise. They have developed what they believe is a credible process for true community engagement.

New Orleans in the National News

Big Results in Big Easy Schools
Take Part – November 7, 2011
Post-Katrina New Orleans has a lot to teach the rest of America about school reform, including the importance of school autonomy and accountability and the challenges faced by an urban school district that serves a high-risk, high-poverty population.

New Orleans Is No Education ‘Miracle’
Education Week – November 1, 2011
A survey of 450 students from six different high schools in New Orleans shows how students really feel about their schools. Students at five of the six high schools expressed serious concerns about safety, academic rigor, counselor accessibility, classroom management, physical environment, and affordability. The survey included students from OPSB and RSD direct-run and charter schools.

Mathematica Study Examines Charter Networks

A new national study of charter management organizations found results that varied greatly between charter networks. Students in some charter networks achieved three years of growth in two years; in others, students tested a year behind grade level after a year or two in the program. The study underscores both the challenges of creating quality charter schools as well as how such schools can be game-changers for students.

Academic Gains Vary Widely for Charter Networks
Education Week – November 4, 2011

New Grades on Charter Schools
Time Magazine – November 3, 2011

BESE Elections and the Next State Superintendent

3 BESE Runoffs Will Loom Large in Louisiana School Reform Debate
The Times-Picayune – October 24, 2011
The future of education reform in Louisiana will be determined by three critical runoff elections on November 19. These second-round BESE elections will take place in the New Orleans area as well as in districts that cover portions of Baton Rouge and nearby parishes.

New Orleans Schools Chief is on the Cusp of Grasping State Superintendent’s Reins
The Times-Picayune – October 24, 2011
The runoff elections on November 19 will determine who will fill the last three seats on the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and this new Board will determine who will become the next State Superintendent of Education. John White, head of the Recovery School District, is just one vote shy of winning the post.

RSD Chief Stays Mum on Education Superintendent Job
Associated Press – November 7, 2011
RSD Superintendent John White says that while he is honored by all the attention he has received, right now he is focused on his current position, and it would be inappropriate to talk to BESE members about the State Superintendent’s post until after the November 19 election.

National Education Stories

NCAA Raises Minimum GPA for Incoming Student-Athletes
Education Week – October 27, 2011
Starting in August 2015, high school student-athletes who hope to play sports in college will need a 2.3 GPA, instead of the 2.0 GPA required for competition today.

Broad Foundation Announces New Prize for Urban Charters
Education Week – October 31, 2011
The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation is starting a new award program for the nation’s charter schools. The Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools will provide $250,000 to the charter management organization that demonstrates the best academic outcomes for traditionally disadvantaged students, including closing achievement gaps.

Five Myths About the Common Core State Standards
Harvard Education Letter – September/October 2011
Louisiana is one of 48 states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards for learning, but many people still aren’t sure what they are and what they mean for our schools. This article addresses five common myths that have emerged about the standards.

Local News

Orleans Parish School Board Decides to Keep Tax Revenue-Neutral
The Times-Picayune – October 18, 2011
The Orleans Parish School Board did not “roll forward” its millage, forgoing close to $5 million of new revenue for schools. This choice of whether or not to increase school revenue was possible because of an increase in the city’s overall property tax assessments.

Louisiana Schools are Better, but the Work is Far from Done: An Editorial
The Times-Picayune – November 6, 2011
Louisiana’s latest scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) showed some improvement, but our scores still rank near the bottom in the nation. The Times-Picayune says that in New Orleans, gains in student performance show recent reforms are working, so Louisiana needs to expand these reforms to other mediocre systems in the state.

New Orleans High Schools Say Performance Scores Don’t Tell the Whole Story
The Times-Picayune – October 20, 2011
Not every high school in New Orleans was judged with the same measuring stick this year. For the first time, School Performance Scores for some New Orleans high schools were based on a combination of test scores and graduation rates. Many of these schools saw a significant jump in their SPS. But schools that are too new to have a four-year cohort graduation rate are still graded primarily on test scores. These schools want the state to do a better job of explaining to parents and the community why their SPS numbers are so different.

Student enrollment is 42,198.

An increase of 2,321 students from last year and a 64% increase since 2006, the first full year after Katrina.

78% of New Orleans students now attend charter schools, up from 71% last year.

New Orleans Public Schools
October 1 Student Count (all students)

Sources: Louisiana Department of Education for October 1, 2004 through October 1, 2010 enrollment. The October 1, 2011 enrollment is self-reported by the RSD, OPSB and individual charter schools. Note: This chart does not include the Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy’s enrollment, since most of its students do not live in New Orleans.

The Louisiana Department of Education has released the official combined District Performance Score for New Orleans schools – 83.2.

#1 In Growth Since 2005
District Performance Scores = All students, all grades, all tests

Educate Now! compared District Performance Scores of the 4 largest districts in the state.

While New Orleans still lags a bit, the large districts are all clustered within 5 points of each other. Our challenge will be to see if over the next 2-3 years we can surpass the “clustering” of these larger districts. Educate Now! is optimistic we will!

• The state’s rate increased to 70.9%.
• OPSB’s graduation rate of 93.5% is #1 in the state.
• RSD New Orleans improved its cohort graduation rate by 15.3% and is #11 out of 70 districts for most improved.

Read the DOE press release
View cohort graduation rates for New Orleans high schools [xls]

District 1 (St. Tammany, most of Jefferson and some of New Orleans) incumbent Jim Garvey won reelection with 58% of the vote.

District 2 (New Orleans, Jefferson and the river parishes) incumbent Louella Givens received 31% of the vote and heads to a runoff with Kira Orange Jones, who leads with 39% of the vote.

District 3 (includes St. Bernard, Plaquemines and some of Jefferson) Lottie Beebe beat incumbent Glenny Lee Buquet with 56% of the vote.

District 4 (northwest Louisiana) incumbent Walter Lee was unopposed.

District 5 (northeast and central Louisiana) Jay Guillot beat incumbent Keith Guice with 55% of the vote.

District 6 (Baton Rouge area) incumbent Chas Roemer (45% of the vote) heads to a runoff with Donald Songy (29% of the vote).

District 7 (southwest Louisiana) Holly Boffy beat incumbent Dale Bayard with 67% of the vote.

District 8 (central Louisiana and Baton Rouge area) where there was a vacancy, Carolyn Hill (29% of the vote) faces Jim Guillory (28% of the vote) in a runoff.

Runoff Elections

Runoff elections will be held for District 2 (New Orleans area), District 6 and District 8.

The runoff election is November 19, 2011 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). Early voting is November 5-12, 2011 (except on Sunday and on November 11, which is Veterans Day).

The BESE elections are critically important because they will impact the future of public schools in New Orleans.

Candidate Profiles

District 2: There are four candidates for District 2, which covers most of Orleans, parts of Jefferson, St. John, St. James, St. Charles and Assumption (incumbent Louella Givens).

The Times-Picayune Profiles District 2 Candidates

Council for a Better Louisiana: Meet the District 2 Candidates

District 1: There are three candidates for District 1, which covers parts of Orleans, most of Jefferson, and St. Tammany (incumbent Jim Garvey).

The Times-Picayune Profiles District 1 Candidates

Council for a Better Louisiana: Meet the District 1 Candidates

Endorsements

The Times-Picayune Endorsements

Gambit Endorsements

New Orleans Tribune Endorsements

Political Commentary

Stephanie Grace: Voters’ Experience Could Be Key in BESE Race

John Magginis: Education Races Matter Now

Interview with Andrew Vanacore ‘On Politics’: The Battle for BESE

Other Stories

Baton Rouge Businessman Plowing Money into BESE Races
The Times-Picayune – October 16, 2011

BESE Races Pitting New Money vs. Old Muscle
Associated Press – October 17, 2011

Jefferson Parish School Board Members Question Endorsements of State Association
The Times-Picayune – October 14, 2011

Bobby Jindal Wants to Control BESE
The New Orleans Tribune – October 12, 2011

Coalition Opposes Gov. Bobby Jindal’s Picks for State Education Board
The Times-Picayune – September 28, 2011