Superintendent Search Struggles
Orleans School Board to continue superintendent search this month
OPSB is planning another round of interviews with new applicants for the school superintendent position. The board interviewed an initial group of four finalists in March but never voted to bring any of them back for a follow up. Stan Smith has served as Interim Superintendent for close to two years.
St. Louis superintendent: New Orleans schools job is not appealing
Kevin Adams, the Superintendent of Schools for St. Louis, says he is not interested in becoming the Superintendent for New Orleans Public Schools. Adams was a chief of staff for the RSD and was one of the most talked-about possibilities for the superintendent’s job, but he says he didn’t apply because the future of OPSB is still unclear. OPSB’s district is small, with only 11,000 students, and it’s uncertain when or if schools in the RSD will return to local control.
Latest on Common Core
Students give Common Core tests high marks
The first phase of Common Core field testing in Louisiana is complete, and according to the Department of Education, nearly 70% of the 25,000 students who took the tests said PARCC was easier or about the same as their current schoolwork. Nearly 85% said none or few questions dealt with materials they hadn’t discussed in class. The second phase of field testing (with another 25,000 students) has already begun.
Poll: Republicans Don’t Hate Common Core as Much as You Think
A recent survey found that the view of Common Core among Republican voters is not as clear-cut as one might think. More than 40% of those surveyed hadn’t heard of or read anything about Common Core standards. When given a definition of the standards, 59% percent said they would support the standards, while 35% said they would oppose them. A separate poll found that 68% of Republicans thought having a set of national education standards was a good idea.
Repeal of Common Core shot down again
Common Core critics suffered their fourth major defeat of the session when the Senate Education Committee rejected a bill that would have scrapped the national academic standards in favor of new ones drafted by Louisiana parents and educators. A few days before, the House Appropriations Committee narrowly rejected a bill that would have required legislative approval of any Common Core test contracts.
Last week an amendment was added to the state’s proposed $25 billion operating budget that would force BESE to solicit proposals for multiple testing options. The board could still select PARCC to be the state standardized exam, but it would have to consider other options. Another bill that would delay for one year the full phase-in of teacher, school and student accountability tied to the Common Core cleared the House and is headed for the Senate.
Three Practical Questions About PARCC and SBAC Testing
Rick Hess is looking for answers to three basic questions about Common Core testing:
- How will we compare the results of students who take the assessment different ways – some using different devices (with a variety of screen sizes and keyboards) and some using paper and pencil in 2015?
- How will we account for a testing window that could stretch over four to six weeks and give some schools more prep time than others?
- How will we account for vastly different testing conditions – some students in their regular classrooms, some in schools across town, and some in independent testing centers?
So far, Hess has received a response from PARCC and a response from Smarter Balanced. He says the responses are a good start to a more in depth discussion about the practical challenges of Common Core.
National Stories
House passes bill to promote charter schools with rare bipartisan support
With a strong majority of votes from both Republicans and Democrats, the House approved legislation that would authorize $300 million a year to help support the startup, replication and expansion of charter schools in the United States. A similar bi-partisan bill was also introduced to the Senate, with Sen. Mary Landrieu as lead sponsor.
US teachers nowhere as diverse as their students
The population of minority students in public schools has risen steadily to almost 50%, but new research found that just 18% of teachers in public schools are nonwhite. Many are concerned about the lack of diverse role models for students, but the Fordham Institute’s Chester Finn says it’s more important to focus on increasing the number of highly effective teachers right now, rather than just increasing teacher diversity.
Survey: More Educators Think ‘Just the Right Amount’ of Time Is Spent on Testing
A national survey found that since 2011, the number of K-12 teachers and administrators who believe “just the right amount of time” is going into assessments has gone up, although teachers remain less positive about assessments than administrators. More than 90% of students surveyed agree that tests are important for a variety of purposes, including helping teachers chart their progress, understanding what they’re learning, and setting goals for learning.
Louisiana Headlines
BESE approves public school spending plan revisions
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved revisions to its $3.6 billion public school funding plan after its initial MFP proposal was killed by the Senate Education Committee. BESE’s new plan removes the automatic 2.75% increase in funding per student annually if the legislature couldn’t approve a funding formula in the future. The revised MFP now goes back to the legislature for approval.
Bill to boost retirement age nearing final passage
A bill that would raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 for many Louisiana employees, including teachers, has passed the Louisiana Senate and has gone back to the House for approval of Senate changes.
Local News
Our Views: A strong school report
The Advocate’s editorial board says that many schools in New Orleans are beating the odds and finding ways to improve student performance despite high poverty levels. The Advocate points to the recent report from Tulane’s Cowen Institute, which shows that although the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch has gone up 9% since 2004, the average school performance score in New Orleans has improved by 41%.
Most New Orleans kindergarteners ready for school in 2013, but 32% still behind
According to a report from OPEN, most New Orleans children entering kindergarten are healthy and ready to learn, but a third are still considered vulnerable, and 18% are considered at high-risk developmentally. The data came from almost 2,600 children – 65% of kindergarten-age children in New Orleans – from 44 public and Roman Catholic schools.
Graduation rates, test scores, up in Jefferson public schools, new report says
Graduation rates, test scores and enrollment are up in Jefferson Parish public schools, according to a recent report. The district increased its District Performance Score from 2010 to 2013, moving from 52nd to 36th in the state, and the percentage of schools rated A or B increased from 14% in 2010-11 to 41% in 2012-13.
Parents shocked, upset at 4th grade reading assignment
A teacher at Mildred Osborne elementary school accidentally gave 4th graders a reading assignment with adult themes and language. The school apologized for the error, but some parents want the school to promise to pay more attention to what their children are being assigned in school.