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.