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Region I Education Service Center
Programs
Accountability
Regional coordinators provide local school districts with information, resources, and training related to state and federal accountability requirements as well as No Child Left Behind. Louisiana’s School and District Accountability System is intended to drive fundamental changes in classroom teaching by helping schools and communities focus on improved student achievement. The system is designed to encourage and support school improvement.
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Early Childhood Education
The RESCs serve Louisiana’s early childhood students and teachers through two programs, LA 4 (federal and state-funded) and Special Populations (federal).
LA 4 is a statewide prekindergarten program serving four-year-old children not currently enrolled in publicly funded PreK classes. The purpose of LA 4 is to provide high quality early childhood education to four-year-old children who are at risk for learning difficulties and to improve the children's readiness to begin school. The LA 4 coordinator uses the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) to monitor program implementation at participating schools and also provides technical assistance and training.
The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) funding enables the RESC to assist districts and schools with their early childhood programs, PreK through 3rd grade, for special population students. Coordinators provide technical assistance and training related to the location, identification, and programs for students who are disabled or suspected of being disabled, in accordance with IDEA. The ECERS-R is used to monitor program implementation for this student population as well.
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Ensuring Literacy for All
Regional Literacy Coordinators are available to mentor and support Ensuring Literacy for All schools and school-based coaches in carrying out their responsibilities. The goal is to scaffold and decrease support until the coach and the school are self-sustaining with an effective PreK-4 reading program.
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Federal Programs
RESC personnel are are available to assist schools and districts in the determination of and restrictions regarding the use of federal funds for school improvement. Assistance is also provided in helping schools achieve AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) and in closing the achievement gap.
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The No Child Left Behind Act
Regional coordinators provide information and resources concerning various aspects of implementation of "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) to local school districts' Title I and Federal Programs directors. Professional Development is provided to individual schools and school districts relating to the intent of this federal legislation designed to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. NCLB redefines the federal role in K-12 education by providing funding needed to help close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. NCLB is based on four basic principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work.
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Special Populations
Federal funding helps provide free, appropriate, public education to those identified students, three through twenty-one years of age. Center personnel assist schools and districts as they identify, locate, evaluate, and serve children suspected of being exceptional.
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High School Redesign
The regional high school redesign coordinator is available to assist districts and schools with planning and implementing high school redesign initiatives. The four current initiativies are: 9th Grade Initiative, Louisiana Innovative High School Initiative, Credit Recovery Initiative, and High Schools that Work/Making Middle Grades Work. This assistance includes providing grant-writing support, assisting with implementation of grant activities, conducting professional development trainig, and presenting infromation on state High School Redesign activities to the public.
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School Improvement
School Improvement Coordinators are available to assist schools and districts in the school improvement process as they collect and analyze data, develop a school improvement plan, and implement strategies to improve student achievement. Coordinators support both District Assistance Team (DATs) and School Improvement Teams (SITs) throughout all phases of the improvement process. Coordinators also provide technical assistance and professional development in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
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Teacher Certification
In response to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirement that schools have "Highly Qualified" teachers, the Certification Counselor assists local school districts as they strive to increase the number of certified teachers. Certification Counselors have two primary responsibilities: (1) recruiting mid-career professionals and college graduates into the teaching profession; and (2) prescribing individual certification pathways to help teachers achieve certification.
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