Agency to Host Statewide Summit on November 5

Baton Rouge, La. – Today, the Louisiana Department of Education officially released a draft plan for its federal Race to the Top application. The agency also announced a statewide Race to the Top Summit, to be held in Baton Rouge on November 5.

Despite being identified as one of the most competitive states, based on current reform efforts, Louisiana isn’t taking its favored position for granted. In the face of looming budget deficits and even deeper cuts to their education budgets, governors, legislators and education officials across the country are passing laws and adopting policies that align with those outlined in the coveted $4.35 billion grant. Some states, including California and Washington, have even called special sessions to pass the necessary reforms in an effort to position their states to earn a share of the one-time competitive grant.

With the competition intensifying, education leaders are aggressively working to develop a state plan that keeps Louisiana out in front of the competition. Department leaders say the plan released today, titled Why We Can’t Wait, is designed to meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), allocating funding to programs and strategies that are proven to have a viable and long-term impact on student achievement.

“Race to the Top offers Louisiana a unique opportunity to dramatically improve all schools,” State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. “It represents our state’s best opportunity to ensure that every student and every school has the resources to achieve excellence. And it’s crucial for us to focus on the point that this grant is not just about doing more for those schools that are struggling. Much of our outreach has been focused on encouraging districts to take advantage of this opportunity – even for their schools that might be above average. And we have created a plan that considers the need to build enduring capacity in our districts, schools and the Department. This grant represents an unprecedented level of funding for Louisiana, and we need to leverage this opportunity to benefit as many of our students as we can and through strategies that can support immediate and long term success.“

Estimates put the potential funding for Louisiana around $250 million, including as much as $500,000 per year, for four consecutive years, for participating schools. To qualify for the federal grant, states must agree to implement a prescribed turnaround plan for at least five percent of their lowest performing schools. But state education leaders are proposing a more comprehensive plan –an approach intended to allow all Louisiana districts and schools to benefit from the federal grant and to draw the voluntary participation of several hundred schools. Districts have the option of whether to participate, and participating districts are not required to volunteer all of their schools.

“Winning is not enough,” Pastorek explained. “We will only be successful if we effectively collaborate to create an application that is centered on a shared purpose and vision. Our objective has been to collaborate with stakeholders to create a plan that meets the criteria outlined in the Race to the Top guidelines and at the same time addresses the efforts and concerns of local superintendents, school boards, legislators, teachers and education organizations. Our aim has been to find the connection between their priorities and the prescribed options for school reform outlined in the Race to the Top grant. Our hope is that this opportunity and the design of our plan will compel groups and school systems to embrace the proven reforms and strategies outlined in the USDOE proposal, using the additional resources to initiate or enrich programs that would not be possible without the additional dollars.”

The current LDOE proposal, the agency says, is a result of ideas and concerns collected during an intense statewide outreach effort with stakeholders during August, September and October. The plan calls for participating schools to voluntarily agree to commit to actions around accountability, empowerment, human capital and innovation – mirroring the fundamental objectives sketched out in the USDOE’s proposal. Based on the six page document, the state’s application would center on a three-tiered approach.

• Objective I would be targeted at schools with a School Performance Score below 60 (failing) and schools with a School Performance Score from 60-79.9 (high priority).
• Objective II would be aimed at schools with a School Performance Score from 80-99.9 (emerging).
• Objective III centers on supporting the capacity and infrastructure of LDOE to effectively support the efforts of school districts to deliver world-class education.

“These funds and our current plan will enable us to effectively support schools, and at the same time, build the institutional structure to ensure long-term school improvement throughout the state – beyond the four-year time frame,” Pastorek said. “Throughout the application and planning process, the sustainability of effective programs has been at the center of our framework.”

Pastorek says many of the reform elements being proposed by LDOE fall in line with existing reform initiatives.

“Louisiana is attracting national attention for our turnaround efforts,” Pastorek said. “And this grant gives us the opportunity to replicate and extend our success, providing world class education to thousands of children across the state. My hope is that we can inspire communities to seize this opportunity wholeheartedly.”

Schools that agree to voluntarily implement LDOE’s reform actions would not only benefit from the additional financial resources, but would be relieved of mandated consequences required by the state’s accountability program. Schools will also have access to LDOE supports outside the norm. The Department’s application seeks to secure financial support for schools that have already taken action to implement identified reforms.

LDOE’s draft plan calls for at least half the grant funding to be allocated to schools and districts that voluntarily choose to participate in the state’s Race to the Top application. The remaining funds would be used by the state to provide additional supports for the benefit of all districts and schools.

The event on November 5 will allow stakeholders to hear the details and provide input on the latest draft. The Summit, which is open to the public, will be held from 1-4 pm at the Claiborne Building (1201 North Third Street, Thomas Jefferson Room). At 2 p.m., Pastorek will present a brief overview. Regional Summits will be held during the following two weeks, with locations and times to be announced at a later date.

Only a handful of states are expected to be awarded substantial resources through the grant. Regardless, Pastorek said, Louisiana intends to remain on the forefront of public school reform.

“We will only be able to achieve a lasting impact on our state’s public education system through a sustained and aggressive effort,” Pastorek explained. “While we recognize the funding opportunity available through Race to Top, even more paramount to Louisiana’s long-term success is our commitment to the fundamental reform policies and efforts outlined by USDOE. If we are going to achieve dramatic improvements, we must be willing to adopt innovative solutions. We cannot hesitate or pause in tribute to tradition or out of fear for political consequences. Our children deserve more, and they cannot wait.”

To access the LDOE document released today, please click the following links: DOCX | PDF