In this edition of In the News:
- LA’s Minority Students Outperform Peers
- Data Shows City is Rebounding
- Latest on the School Board Race
- Voucher Updates
- National Education Stories
- Student Health News
- Around Louisiana
- Closer to Home
Louisiana Minority Students Making Gains in College and Career Readiness
LA Department of Education – August 22, 2012
According to a 2012 ACT report, Louisiana’s minority students – including Hispanic, African-American and American-Indian students – outperformed their peers across the nation on the ACT. The average composite score for Louisiana’s African-American students is 17.5, compared to 17.0 nationally. The average composite score for Louisiana’s Hispanic students is 20.5, compared to 18.9 nationally.
Facts for Features: Hurricane Katrina Recovery
Greater New Orleans Community Data Center – August 9, 2012
Isaac notwithstanding…many people are wondering how New Orleans is doing seven years after Katrina. The latest report from GNOCDC shows New Orleans is smaller than pre-Katrina but still growing; we’ve weathered the recession relatively well; and blight in the city is rapidly declining. For more data on the city’s progress, download the full report.
Business, Civic Groups Ask School Board Candidates to Support Platform
WWL TV – August 15, 2012
Forward New Orleans for Public Schools has called on each candidate in the OPSB race to equitably serve all public school students in Orleans Parish, regardless of school district or school type. To get the Forward New Orleans endorsement, candidates must pledge to support six initiatives, including a common enrollment process for every public school in the city; a strategic plan for gauging how many and which types of schools the city needs; and a new policy for tracking and financing school maintenance. Read more about the action items they propose in their brochure.
Leslie Ellison Is Running for Orleans Parish School Board
Times-Picayune – August 14, 2012
Leslie Ellison is running for a seat on the Orleans Parish School Board, challenging two-term incumbent Lourdes Moran in the 4th district. Ellison gained notoriety when she testified before the Legislature in favor of a bill that would have allowed discrimination based on sexual orientation.
N.Y.C. Study Finds Vouchers Boost Blacks’ College-Going Rates
Education Week – August 23, 2012
A recent study from the Brookings Institution found that African American students in NYC who received vouchers to attend private schools were more likely to attend college than their peers who stayed in public school.
School Vouchers Make a Comeback Amid Concerns About Quality
Hechinger Report – August 21, 2012
Former Times-Picayune education reporter Sarah Carr looks at voucher school oversight and the debate over who should ultimately be responsible for determining what constitutes a quality education: the government or parents.
Spurred by Voucher Program, State Officials May Tighten Rules on Who Can Open Private Schools
Times-Picayune – August 14, 2012
Superintendent John White wants to tighten the rules on who can operate a state-sanctioned private school. This would establish a new bar for private schools to clear before they could accept students through the voucher program.
Policy Debate on Vouchers Late, but Needed: Stephanie Grace
Times-Picayune – August 19, 2012
Stephanie Grace says that although she is glad the current debate over voucher schools could lead to tougher standards for all private schools, she wishes this debate had taken place before the voucher legislation was passed, not after.
PARCC Has Released Phase 1 Item and Task Prototypes
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers – August 20, 2012
PARCC has released the first set of sample items developed to test students on the Common Core State Standards. Louisiana will be replacing the current LEAP and iLeap tests with the PARCC-developed tests aligned with the new Common Core. Want to see some sample questions? Two sample items are Grade 3 ELA/Literacy and High School Math. For background on PARCC’s prototypes and more links to samples, click here.
More States Requiring Students to Repeat a Grade: Is It the Right Thing to Do?
Hechinger Report – August 16, 2012
A report published this month by the Brookings Institution suggests that, at least for younger children who struggle with reading, repeating a grade may be beneficial. Still, retaining students is not a perfect solution. For some, it creates a greater likelihood of bullying and victim behavior or dropping out of high school.
Teach for America Alumni at the Head of the Class
Reuters – August 16, 2012
This article looks at 12 Teach for America alumni who are making an impact in education. The list includes John White, Louisiana Superintendent of Education, and Sarah Usdin, founder of New Schools for New Orleans.
HIV Infections Among Young Black New Orleanians Traced to Abstinence-Only Sex Education
Times-Picayune – August 19, 2012
A new study of adolescents in Louisiana links abstinence-only instruction in public schools to the epidemic HIV rates among young African-Americans in our state. Louisiana currently ranks No. 1 in the country in terms of HIV incidence among young people 13 to 24 years old.
Weight Status Among Adolescents in States That Govern Competitive Food Nutrition Content
Pediatrics – August 13, 2012
A new study in the journal Pediatrics found that students in states with strong anti-junk-food-and-sugary-drinks laws gained .25 fewer BMI units over three years than students in states with no laws. Students were also less likely to be obese.
Entrepreneurs Tackle Childhood Obesity with 10,000 Healthy Lunches a Day
Times-Picayune – August 14, 2012
Beginning this year, a new program will deliver more than 10,000 healthy school lunches per day to students at 28 New Orleans and Baton Rouge public schools. The nonprofit Propeller: A Force for Innovation has partnered with Revolution Foods and KIPP New Orleans Schools to create a model for healthy lunches they hope can be implemented beyond the region.
State Touts Program Aimed at Giving Louisiana High School Students More Course Options
Times-Picayune – August 21, 2012
The state announced that it has started receiving applications from businesses, universities, and other groups to participate in Louisiana’s new course choice program, where the state pays for high school students to take courses outside the traditional school setting.
New Orleans Agencies Could Pocket Property Tax Windfall
Times-Picayune – August 14, 2012
About a quarter of New Orleans properties recently received higher tax assessments. Now, city agencies have to decide whether to keep the extra revenue or lower tax rates and return some revenue to residents. Editor’s note: OPSB has already elected to roll the millage forward.
RSD Superintendent Creates School Community Councils, Invites Public to Apply to Serve
Recovery School District – August 16, 2012
The RSD is creating Community Councils for four of its direct-run schools to help match each school to the best charter operator. The councils will work to identify community priorities for each school, and then they will use this information to assess the proposed charter operators for the RSD.
Kira Orange Jones Will Keep Seat on State Board of Education
Times-Picayune – August 17, 2012
The state Board of Ethics ruled that it is not a conflict of interest for Kira Orange Jones to serve on Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education while she is employed as head of Teach for America New Orleans.
L.B. Landry High School Alumni Taking State to Court over Merger Plans
Times-Picayune – August 24, 2012
A group of L.B. Landry High School alumni is suing the state over plans to merge the campus with O. Perry Walker. The alumni say the state failed to follow the law and come up with a community outreach plan before deciding on changes to school governance.
New Orleans Charter School is Accused of Cheating to Help 4th-Graders Pass LEAP Tests
Times-Picayune – August 26, 2012
An OPSB investigation found that Robert Russa Moton Charter School, one of the highest-ranked open-enrollment schools in New Orleans, violated state testing policy to help fourth-grade students pass standardized exams last year. The OPSB has given Moton corrective actions that the school must follow or “risk revocation of the charter agreement.”