This week the Department of Education has made a very simple recommendation, to move the testing dates for LEAP, iLEAP and GEE back a couple of weeks. BESE heard and accepted this recommendation and now testing for the 2008-2009 school year will begin April 1, 2009 and end April 9. For a number of years school leaders, teachers and parents have wondered, “Why is the test so early?” When I became Superintendent, I asked that very same question. I listened to the reasons and after hearing everything I wondered still, “Why is the test so early?” It just made too much sense to move the test, so that’s what we’ve done.

I certainly understand the concerns, that the test becomes the focus of instruction and I understand that this doesn’t solve every problem associated with accountability, and we aren’t trying to with this plan. We are simply intending to give teachers more time to teach the skills that are covered on the tests and to give students a greater opportunity for success.

Louisiana’s accountability system is rated among the best in the nation year in and year out, but that doesn’t mean that these policies are static and unchanging. We are always looking for methods to better assess our children and find ways to get them “over the goal line.” You can expect the Department of Education to continue to work with educators, parents, BESE, the legislature and the best minds in the world to improve our system. Moving the test back is just the first step in that.

All children can learn. At the heart of our vision at the Louisiana Department of Education, to build a world class education system for Louisiana’s children is that belief. I’m certain that I wouldn’t have accepted this position if I didn’t believe that every child, rich or poor, black or white, urban or rural, had the ability to earn a quality education.

I believe that I have assembled a team of like minded individuals who, no matter what division they work in (finance, accountability, etc.) are finding ways to support higher student achievement. It’s a very different approach to a system that typically teaches us to stay in our silos and simply do the work that comes across our desks. But I don’t think that produces the effort that will get us to where we want to be.

I made a commitment to get out and visit schools on a regular basis so I can talk to principals, teachers and most importantly the students. A short time ago I had the privilege to visit Ory Elementary School in LaPlace. It’s a school that has a very mixed racial makeup, a good number of students who receive free and reduced lunch. And it also achieves outstanding school performance scores year in and year out.

They’ve done it by following a pretty simple formula. First, they have an outstanding principal who has been there a number of years and who has her own vision for what the school should be. They have teachers who have committed themselves to that vision and in every classroom I visited I saw professionals working their craft. And then you see energetic, enthusiastic, attentive students. I observed their “professional quality” television studio and their morning broadcast, and enjoyed what had to be one of the nicest interviews I’ve done in a long while. I also talked to classes from Kindergarten to 8th grade and heard directly from children. One math class in particular told me that their daily class work made the LEAP look basic in comparison.

I left Ory feeling even more deeply that the obstacles to quality education exist in us as adults far more than in any child. We can pass the blame or the failure to whomever or whatever but in the end when these children fail, it falls on all of us.

This time of year brings a heightened level of energy and tension to many of our schools. LEAP, iLEAP and GEE tests are just weeks away and teachers are busily ensuring that their students are ready. Each year, we hear about schools holding pep rallies and special events to make students aware of the importance of the tests and read interviews with teachers and parents who are stressed about whether the students will pass. I would encourage schools to tone down the events that work to create more stress around this time and instead concentrate all year on the proven practices that ensure students are prepared and know the material that will be presented.

In that vein, the Department of Education has created a Tutoring Hotline for 4^th and 8^th graders who will take the LEAP exam. This week, every student in the state will receive a practice test that they can take home and familiarize themselves with the types of questions that will be on the exams. And we will have tutors available to help students who need assistance on those questions from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday from February 1st to March 7th.  The phone number is 1-877-453-2721.

We have also created a LEAP/GEE help center on our website at  http://www.louisianaschools.net/. Students will find online programs such as PASS which also provides students with practice questions and online tutorials for each exam and Newton’s Classroom which is a fun site that can be used to help students sharpen their math skills. These online sites are available year round but we have combined them all into one easily accessible site.

This is an important time in our schools but I hope our teachers, principals and Superintendents use the Department’s tools to instill the confidence in students that they do know the information and will succeed on these tests.

Monday, I witnessed the swearing-in of Bobby Jindal as the 55^th governor of our great state. These are exciting times in Louisiana, as we see change reverberating from the Delta to the Bayou. Along with our new legislature, I am looking forward to a productive relationship with our governor. I was particularly interested in his remarks about his emphasis on change. In a number of instances, Governor Jindal commented in his inaugural address that “It can change! It must change! It will change!”

In Louisiana, our 4^th grade reading results are 50^th in the nation. We have one of the toughest challenges that a state can face. We have a significant poor population that is educable, but it takes more skill and effort to make that happen. No, it is not easy – it is difficult. But it is not impossible. Teaching poor children effectively and having them proficient in reading at the 4^th grade is DOABLE. Even with poor students who come from difficult backgrounds, it is DOABLE – if we are diligent and determined. It can change! It must change! It will change!

When Louisiana’s School Performance Scores were released on September 6^th, they showed that the majority of schools across the state failed to reach their Growth Targets, the state as a whole remained essentially flat, 70 schools were academically unacceptable and 11 of those schools were eligible for placement into the Recovery School District. The news was disappointing, but it spurred my executive staff to create a plan of support for the 100 schools that need our help the most. We held two summits to pair high performing schools with high priority schools (those achieving the lowest in the state, so that one could learn from the other). We have since given technical support from the LDoE to every one of those 100 High Priority Schools, and this will continue through the end of the school year. It is our way of demonstrating that it can change! It must change! It will change! It is our way of saying we believe that we can help and that we can make a difference in supporting struggling schools.

We are implementing that plan now, and I will talk more about it in future blogs. However, among those 100 schools are 11 that are eligible for immediate State takeover. These 11 schools have failed academically for 5, 6, 7, 8 or even 9 CONSECUTIVE years. The children who go to school there simply don’t have much of a chance of success in the classroom, and therefore don’t have a chance in life. I don’t blame the teachers or administrators who are trying. I actually don’t blame anyone. I simply say that it must come to an end. There must be a better way for these students. Either the district must provide it (and it is their obligation to do so), or someone else must. The biggest challenge – BELIEVING THAT POOR CHILDREN CAN SUCCEED. If we do not believe they can succeed, they surely will not. There are examples in our own state where poor kids succeed in large numbers. (I will talk about this later.) We must replicate that success in all of our schools, particularly in these 11 schools. We believe at the LDoE that schools can replicate success, but we must be focused on ensuring that all children are literate in each grade. Indeed, one of our major areas of focus is that we assure that they are literate and mastering numeracy skills by the 4^th grade. If we don’t, we are constantly fighting a rear guard action in all the later grades.

I have spoken with the superintendents of each of these 11 schools so that I understand the challenges each of these schools face, the history of each and the plans now underway to bring them back to the path of success. I have also begun what will become a series of discussions with the school board members who represent these districts. This week, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will continue its discussion of whether the state can serve these schools and their students better. I expect a decision to be made in February or March.

As I have repeatedly said, I do not have an abiding desire to take over these schools. However, I must see a firm commitment and a solid plan to do what it takes to make these schools successful. The students deserve nothing less.

As our great new governor reminds us…”It can change! It must change! It will change!”

I can’t start a blog entry today without saying congratulations to the LSU Tigers. The eyes of the nation have been on Louisiana for weeks as the team overcame the odds to play for the number one spot in the nation. They delivered and so did the city of New Orleans which, by all accounts, hosted two major back-to-back bowl games without a hitch. Now, let the celebration begin!

I couldn’t help but think that there is a lesson here for us. Just like LSU and Coach Les Miles, we have a lot of national “experts” watching our progress as we work to improve the education of students across our state. A lot of those experts have underestimated our ability to bounce back from adversity and to create something so special that it can literally change the lives residents across our state.

We won’t have a crystal trophy to raise or confetti raining down from the rafters when School Performance Scores are announced next fall, but my hope is that we can crown our teachers and students champions as we celebrate progress in the classroom and a first step toward creating a world-class educational system in Louisiana.

Our students need to be prepared for a successful life after high school, and early exposure to the world of higher education and work will allow them to explore the unlimited possibilities that await them after graduation. I believe that one of the main roles of our middle and high schools is to equip students for either a career, placement in a higher education setting, or both.

Dual Enrollment is one way to help our children pave the way to a successful career and to ease the transition between high school and college. Dual Enrollment gives 11^th and 12^th grade students the opportunity to enroll in a public Louisiana college or university and receive tuition assistance and earn college credit as well as credit toward their high school diplomas. Students also have the option to take college-level enrichment (developmental) or work skills courses.

I have urged all district superintendents to lead the way in encouraging their students to take full advantage of this opportunity.  Many students around the state were enrolled for the past fall semester, and I expect to see a much larger number enrolled for the spring of 2008.

We must consistently work to see that all students take full advantage of this and other opportunities that will give them a springboard into the future – one that should offer unlimited possibilities and set Louisiana students on a course to being truly competitive in a global market.  

I have always been a strong supporter of our accountability system. As one of the architects of the system, I have continually worked to make certain that the basic tenants of accountability remain intact. Over the last decade, we have shown great gains in student academic performance.  The 2006-07 School Performance Scores (SPS) were released recently.  As a state, our results were mixed, but in the end the LDE report card disappointingly showed no growth.  The results also indicated that many of our local education agencies (LEAs) had one or more schools in need of assistance; some LEAs had schools showing consistent progress, while others had both. After giving this intense thought internally and speaking to our external advisors, I believe that we can build on our successes and translate some of the reasons for success to other schools with an urgent need for support.  On November 5 and 8, 2007, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE) led an ambitious effort to bring the children of our state to the next level of education excellence. Schools and Districts are working diligently and consistently to improve student and school performance. The LDE took an active role in supporting and providing resources to assist LEAs in improving academic achievement for the children of our state, particularly with those schools that are experiencing the greatest challenges. The subsequent Capacity Building & Collaboration Summit, held in Baton Rouge and Shreveport, was an attempt to jump-start a collaborative effort by districts, with the goal of improving student academic performance immediately while laying the ground work for a longer sustained effort. The purpose of the summit was to provide greater awareness of effective tools and proven, research-based strategies for schools struggling academically.  These ideas are intended to simplify, not complicate, the situation as well as provide the beginning of a collaborative for educators to network and monitor progress throughout the 2007-08 school year.  

The culmination of the summit was the drafting of a 100 Day Charge. The paired schools, along with LDE staff, developed a charge to be implemented over the next 100 days with two strategies that they think will have positive impact on students immediately.  The high need and high priority schools are to work with LDE staff and the Pacesetter schools to implement these strategies immediately in order to increase the potential for positive student results in 2007-2008.   

Since taking over as the State Superintendent of Education, I have been extremely focused on a number of key issues, many involving bringing stability to the New Orleans Recovery School District (RSD).  However, since the arrival of Superintendent Paul Vallas to guide the efforts in the RSD and the subsequent capacity-building in New Orleans, I have been able to shift my focus to the rest of the state. 

With this in mind, one of my first objectives was to change the culture, both perceived and actual, within the Department of Education. I believe that we should be more than simply a policy promulgator and regulator. The Department’s main responsibility should be assisting school districts. I have surveyed LDoE staff, my executive team, district superintendents and various stakeholders regarding what they believe our vision and mission should be. As a whole, we have adopted the following guiding principles we shall live by and work toward in order to ensure a bright future for all of the children of Louisiana:

Our Vision: To create a world-class education system for all students in Louisiana

Our Mission: Improve academic performance for all students, eliminate achievement gaps and prepare students to be effective citizens in a global market

These are bold statements, but our children deserve nothing less. We are already working on short-term and long-term initiatives to make our vision a reality. In the coming days, I will write more about these efforts as we work together to bring world-class education to all Louisiana schools.