| LDOE Contacts | |
John White
State Superintendent of Education
877.453.2721
(toll-free)
|
|
|
|
LDOE Weekly Newsletter 10/02/2012
|
|
Dear Colleagues,
Our principals are the critical leaders in our system. Our progress as a state depends on their progress as effective managers and educators.
For as much attention as has been paid to the teacher development elements of Compass, of equal importance is the Compass tool for school leaders. As with teachers, school leaders are to set goals. And as with teachers, school leaders are to receive feedback on a rubric that describes levels of performance related to student achievement. See a summary of the Compass system for school leaders here.
Perhaps most notable about the Compass rubric for school leaders is that it links principal success to activities central to Louisiana Believes. In essence, the school leader system should reinforce the teacher system. For example, "classroom observation and feedback," "using common core aligned assessment," and "setting goals aligned to the Common Core" are both skills reflected in the Compass rubric for school leaders; principals who do well on the rubric will have supported their teachers in achieving at high levels on their own rubric. The system tries to align priorities at each level, so as to allow schools and school districts to focus on discrete, critical skills for both leaders and teachers that will impact student achievement.
The Compass rubric is a simple tool for improvement. Schools and districts that use the tool effectively will work intensively to create a vision of what the rubric descriptors look like, watching videos and teachers in action as part of the process. They will work hard to ensure that their expectations for each level of the rubric are shared across their faculties, ensuring that "highly effective" means the same thing to all teachers in the school.
A critical factor in ensuring schools operate in such a way is the quality and focus of the principal. The Compass school leader rubric has been designed to support the idea of the principal as an instructional leader focused on Compass and the Common Core. As such a tool, it should be a powerful means for making progress with students.
As always, thanks for all you do for our children,
John
John White
Louisiana Department of Education
Twitter @LouisianaSupe
|
|
Superintendents' Monthly Conference Call
|
 Ladies & Gentlemen: You are invited to participate in the Superintendents' Conference Call hosted by State Superintendent John White on Monday, October 8, at 10:30 a.m. CST. You may begin dialing into the call 15 minutes in advance. Please follow the instructions below: To join the Superintendents' October 8, 2012 Meeting: 1. Go to https://ldoe.uc.att.com/la/meet/?ExEventID=SDOAD5&MeetingKey=T0VWDFG0&UserExtEventID=790086 2. Select: Participant Application 3. Dial into the Phone Bridge: (866) 244-4515 4. When prompted, please give the Meeting ID # 1591999 5. You will need to identify yourself in order to be placed into the meeting. Also, please click here for the schedule of calls for 2013. |
|
Assessments and Accountability
|
|
Writing Prompt Exemplars Posted
Please forward to English Language Arts Teachers, Principals, District Staff and District Test Coordinators
The writing prompt on this year's LEAP and iLEAP is significantly different than it has been in years past. The new prompt, which asks students to read one or two passages and respond to a writing topic using information from the text(s), introduce teachers and students to an important CCSS instructional shift-writing grounded in text evidence. The Louisiana Department of Education has developed sample prompts as well as aligned student exemplars to illustrate the types of questions that students will see and the type of work that we should expect from them. There are three separate documents: one for LEAP and iLEAP, one for English II, and one for English III. The LEAP/iLEAP document has assembled writing prompts and samples of student work for grades 3-8 in one document so teachers can easily see the changes in passage complexity and the increasing expectations for rigor in student work as students progress from grade 3 to grade 8.
The documents are available on the LDOE website at http://www.doe.state.la.us/topics/trans_assessments.html.
|
|
New SPS Bonus Opportunity
As highlighted in the Superintendent's message last week, click here, schools may now earn significant bonus points for making progress with our lowest performing students. For more information on the specifics of this policy, please click here.
If you have additional questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer Baird (jennifer.baird@la.gov) or Jessica Baghian (jessica.baghian@la.gov).
|
|
Prekindergarten Performance (PKP) Fall Data
Please forward to LA 4, Title I, 8g, and ECSE Coordinators for Assumption, Caddo, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberia, Jefferson, Lincoln, Monroe City, Rapides, St. John, and St. Landry Parishes ONLY.
This notice serves as a reminder that the LA 4, Title I, 8g, and ECSE teachers in these LEAs may begin entering the fall data from the Prekindergarten Student Performance Checklist on the Prekindergarten Performance (PKP) site from October 1 - October 19. Please note that after October 19, the PKP site will NOT be accessible and no changes to data can be made; therefore, please make sure teachers submit accurate data. If you have questions regarding the PKP site, please contact Nicholy Johnson at (225) 342-3647 or Nicholy.johnson@la.gov.
|
September LA 4 Reports Reminder Please forward to District/Charter LA 4 Coordinators Please note that September LA 4 Reports are due on Friday, October 5, 2012. These reports include the September Enrollment Report, First Quarter Collaboration Report (reflecting collaborative meetings held between July and September), the number of children who have been administered the Developing Skills Checklist pre-test, and the Before - and After-School Enrichment Report (if applicable). Please make sure that all reports are submitted in a timely and accurate manner. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Nicholy Johnson at (225) 342-3647 or Nicholy.johnson@la.gov. |
|
ACT Mailing to High School Principals
Please forward to Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, District Test Coordinators, High school Principals.
If a principal did not receive the ACT packet in the mail, the principal should be directed to the Louisiana State Testing website (http://act.org/aap/louisiana/act.html) to print Test Site Establishment materials plus the Checklist of Dates.
If a principal has not received an email from ACT related to test site establishment and appointment of key testing staff, they should use one of the methods on the Louisiana State Testing website to contact ACT.
The webinar handout document is posted under the General tab on the Louisiana State Testing website.
|
|
HCIS Updates HCIS is now LIVE! LEA 'Super Users' should communicate to teachers and principals regarding when and how to utilize HCIS to input PGPs, SLTs, and conduct observations. A complete list of LEA Super Users is available on the LDOE website, along with HCIS video tutorials and other resources for HCIS users. |
|
Statewide 10th Grade Student Survey
Education's Next Horizon, a statewide non-profit organization that works with districts and schools to increase graduation rates, is conducting a survey of 10th grade students. They are asking for the cooperation and support of school leaders in getting as many 10th graders as possible to take the survey. The purpose of the survey is to gauge student perceptions and values regarding various interventions and support activities that students might have experienced in the 9th grade. Survey results will be compiled by the Picard Center for Child Development at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The final report will be made available to school leaders and education policymakers.
This optional survey can be completed between October 2 and October 19, and should only take 10-15 minutes. All results will be kept confidential. We would like district leadership to disseminate this survey to students in 10th grade. We are particularly interested in responses from those schools, which implemented specific high school programs for 9th grade students last year. Click here for a link to the survey.
For additional information, feel free to contact John Warner Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Education's Next Horizon, at (225) 383-3844 or by email at jsmith@lanexthorizon.org.
|
|
Course Choice RFA Deadline Extended
Please forward to all Principals, Counselors and Teachers.
The Course Choice Request for Application (RFA) deadline has been extended to October 19, 2012. The RFA is a user-friendly, 100 percent electronic process focused on course quality and course provider accountability. Since the Course Choice application window opened in August, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has received 45 application packages from non-traditional providers, school systems, teachers, online providers, and the four Louisiana post-secondary systems. If you are considering applying to be a Course Choice provider, now is the time to send in your application. The deadline for the LDOE to notify applicants of their notification status is October 26, 2012. Submission of the proposal by October 8, 2012, guarantees a provider feedback on their proposal by the submission deadline. The Course Choice program was established by the Legislature earlier this year in Act 2. It creates an education marketplace where parents can choose from a wide range of academic and career-oriented courses that will best prepare a student for success in college and the workplace. For more information, visit www.louisianabelieves.com/coursechoice.
|
|
Race to the Top - District State Feedback Process
Please forward to RTT-D Applicants and Grant Team Leader.
A requirement of the RTT-D competition is that you allow 10 business days for state review and feedback. Our Grants Management team have a review template based on RTT-D assurances and recommendations to provide feedback on draft district applications. Draft applications should be submitted by review by October 15, 2012. Feedback will be sent within 10 days of receipt of an application. Districts may submit early. Districts can submit their application or a link to access their application to sheila.guidry@la.gov.
|
|
Graduation Exit Examination (GEE)/Louisiana Alternate Assessment, Level 2 (LAA2) Waiver Timelines
Please forward to Special Education Directors, Charter School Operators, School Principals, Assessment and Accountability Staff, Guidance Counselors, and Special Education Teachers.
The Louisiana Department of Education, Office of Student Programs, will be accepting application packets for Graduation Exit Examination and Louisiana Alternate Assessment, Level 2 waiver requests for graduating seniors eligible for Spring and Summer 2013 graduations. The purpose of the GEE/LAA2 waiver process is to allow local education agencies (LEAs) to make application to the state on behalf of students with disabilities pursuant to Bulletin 741, §2319B regarding the waiver of a Graduation Waiver Examination required component. Students considered eligible for the GEE/LAA2 waiver must meet all other graduation requirements, including completion of the minimum requirements of Carnegie Units for graduation. Students receiving the waiver will be eligible to receive a regular high school diploma. More information is available at http://tinyurl.com/8sl6svb.
If you have questions or need additional information, contact Jennifer Spears by email at jennifer.spears@la.gov or by telephone at (225)-342-0202.
|
|
Timelines for Submitting Testing Accommodation Requests for Students with Disabilities
Please forward to Special Education Directors, Charter School Operators, School Principals, Assessment and Accountability Staff, Guidance Counselors, and Special Education Teachers.
The Office of Student Programs in conjunction with the Office of Assessment and Accountability released the timelines for submitting requests for testing accommodations for the standardized assessments and alternate assessments for the 2012-13 school year. The timelines refer to the following assessments: LEAP, iLEAP, LEAP Alternate Assessment 1, LEAP Alternate Assessment 2, and ELDA. For those students requiring pre-identified answer documents or labels, assessment decisions need to be made and entered into Special Education Reporting. All accommodations must be entered into the Special Education Reporting (SER) System thirty days prior to testing. More information is available at http://tinyurl.com/98te8kd
If you have questions or need additional information, contact Jennifer Spears by email at jennifer.spears@la.gov or by telephone at (225)-342-0202.
|
|
School Bus Driver Certification Program
Please forward to School Superintendents, Pupil Transportation Director/Supervisors, School Bus Driver Instructors, Perspective School Bus Driver Instructors, State Funded Charter Schools, and Recovery School District.
The School Bus Driver Instructor's Certification and Recertification Training is scheduled for November 13-15, 2012, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily, at the Rapides Parish School Board, Gladys Higdon Instructional Resource Center (Media Center), 502 Beauregard Street, Alexandria, Louisiana.
Visit Coursewhere for more information and registration. http://tinyurl.com/cfllym9.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Shirley Williams at (225) 219-7845 or via email at Shirley.Williams@la.gov.
|
Act 1 - RIF As a reminder, the deadline to submit RIF policies was October 1, 2012. If you have not yet submitted your policy, please email it to act1@la.gov. The week of October 15, we will publish the districts that meet or exceed minimum requirements. The LDE is using this rubric to assess the districts' new RIF policies' compliance with Act 1. For an example of a contract that meets "exemplar" criteria, please see Jefferson Parish's revised policy or Lincoln Parish's draft policy, soon scheduled to go before their Board. If you have any questions, please contact Gary Jones at gary.jones@la.gov. |
|
FY 2010-2011 IDEA Part B Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Confirmation
Please forward to Business Managers and Financial Officials of Public School Districts, Charter Schools, Lab Schools, and Other Entities and State Agencies defined as an LEA for these purposes.
The IDEA "Confirmation" of MOE Application is now available through the eGrants Management System (eGMS), and each LEA must complete the IDEA MOE Confirmation process no later than November 16, 2012.
See the attached memo for information about the IDEA Part B MOE Confirmation process. We look forward to working with you in this endeavor. For further information or questions, contact Nakia Jason, Federal Audit Supervisor, at Nakia.Jason@la.gov , or 1-877-453-2721 or Jason Berard at Jason.Berard@la.gov for eGMS technical inquiries or support.
Attachment 1: 2010-2011 IDEA B MOE Confirmation Memo.pdf
|
|
2012-2013 NCLB Maintenance of Effort Verification
Please forward to Business Managers and Financial Officials of Public School Districts, Charter Schools, Lab Schools, and Other Entities and State Agencies defined as an LEA for these purposes
To adhere to Public Law 107-110-The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, LEAs are required to annually submit to the LDE a Maintenance of Effort Verification form for the NCLB programs. The LDE launched the NCLB MOE Verification Application for 2012-2013 within the Grants Management System (eGMS) on June 8, 2012. The deadline for such submission was July 31, 2012. In an effort to afford all LEAs an opportunity to submit the required forms, the NCLB MOE Verification module in eGMS has remained open for 60 days beyond the required due date. However, this module will close on October 5, 2012, and the following LEAs have not submitted their NCLB MOE Verification form:
East Feliciana Parish School Board
St. Helena Parish School Board
Southern University Lab School
Office of Juvenile Justice
Please have the fiscal agent for your LEA review the attached memo and complete the NCLB MOE Verification form in eGMS. For further information or questions, contact Nakia Jason, Federal Audit Supervisor at Nakia.Jason@la.gov or 1-877-453-2721 or Jason Berard at Jason.Berard@la.gov for eGMS technical inquiries or support.
|
|
Technology Readiness Tool Survey Informational Webinars
DOE will be holding two webinars to disseminate information and answer questions relative to the Fall Technology Readiness Tool Data Collection window. The window for the Fall TRT Collection will close on Nov. 30, 2012, with new Technology Footprints being published in January 2014.
Webinars will take place on October 9 and 12 from 8:00 a.m.- 9:00 a.m.
Click here for details on joining the webinar.
DOE Contact person: Carol Mosley at carol.mosley@la.gov or 225-588-5584.
|
|
IDEA Child Count
All SER Coordinators:
The IDEA Child Count will be taken on Wednesday, October 31, 2012, at noon. Students must have a current evaluation, a current IEP (initial or review only-interim IEPs do not count) and be receiving services as of the count date (October 1) in order to be counted. Preliminary Child Counts are generated nightly. Reports can be run each morning in order to verify data.
Be sure to run and verify the following reports:
- IDEA Summary and Listing to verify that the students are assigned to the correct teacher.
- FAPE Summary, Listing and Not Counted - this report should be blank. Remember, FAPE and IDEA counts should be equal. Remember, this is used in the APR Determination process.
- FED Eval Summary and Listing. In reviewing the summary page, there should be no public school students with services plans. Remember, this is used in the APR Determination process.
- General Reports:
- Duplicate Students
- LAA1/LAA2 Report (to verify test)
- Open Jurisdiction
- SER/SIS Child Count Crosscheck (this report must be blank)
- Personnel Table 2 (detail and summary)
Attached is a document that gives information about the Counted and Not Counted Reports and Personnel Table 2. The documents are also posted on Blackboard in the "training demonstrations/documents" section of SER. There are NO Extensions allowed for IDEA count or Personnel Table 2 data from SER. Make sure you are reviewing your reports and contacting Susan Kaufman susan.kaufman@la.gov or Cindy Delaughter cindy.delaughter@la.gov if you have questions. Please do not wait until the last days to ask for technical assistance.
Attachment: Work Counted/Not Counted
|
|
STS Open For Submissions
All STS Coordinators:
STS was rolled-over on October 1 and is now open for submissions to the 2012-2013 school year. We recommend that you submit a complete delete-and-replace (type 3) submission soon to promote your students to the appropriate grade and to remove the students who are no longer at your school. Contact Jacqueline Lewis at Jacqueline.lewis@la.gov with any questions.
|
|
LEADS Portal and INSIGHT Portal
All Data Coordinators:
Note that all applications available from the LEADS Portal and the INSIGHT Portal will be down from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 3, for normal production server maintenance. Please adjust your schedules accordingly.
|
|
$17.05 Adobe Software Bundle for Teachers and Education Staff with Free Unlimited Use for Students
The deadline for schools to enroll to participate in the new Adobe Software Program is quickly approaching. This program allows schools to purchase yearly licensing rights for the complete retail version of C6 Design and Web Premium as well as discounted individual licenses of Premier Elements and Adobe Production Premium at a substantially reduced price. Schools and Districts can opt-in by filling out the online form located at https://www.ships.shi.com/Global/ecommercedotnet/employeewebUI/EmployeeRegistration.aspx?c=LAk12adobe.
Adobe and DOE will also be holding several webinars where schools can ask questions and get answers about the program and its process. Clickherefor more information including times and dates of trainings.
DOE Contact person: Carol Mosley at carol.mosley@la.gov or 225-588-5584.
|
|
Additional State Provided Trainings
|
Training on Compass for School Leaders Training on the Compass system for school leaders will take place in October. This 1-day training will be facilitated by the LDOE Network Teams. Session registration is now available on the Coursewhere website. District leaders should register for and attend the sessions that have been scheduled with their specific district through the Network Teams. This training is intended for LEA central office staff involved in the support and evaluation of school leaders. Participants are asked to review existing resources on Compass for School Leaders and complete some basic pre-work prior to the training. Pre-work assignments are outlined here. Districts should not wait for Compass Leader training to redeliver HCIS training, as the processes within the system are the same for both teachers and leaders. |
E-Rate Training and Updates In our continued effort to provide schools and districts with the latest information on technology initiatives, funding programs as well as rules and program changes; LDOE will begin holding month calls to discuss E-Rate program rules, changes and contracting options. These meetings will take place every month either on or near the 14th of the month from 8 am - 9 am. The initial update meeting will take place on October 8, 2012 from 8:00 - 10:00 am. Monthly update meetings will begin in November. Click here for more information including times and dates of trainings. DOE Contact person: Carol Mosley at carol.mosley@la.gov or 225-588-5584. |
STEEP Webinar for SRCL Districts Please forward to SRCL Project Directors and Network Coaches. A Webinar hosted by STEEP will be held Thursday, October 4, 2012, at 3:15 p.m. to address STEEP implementation questions. SRCL project directors and network coaches serving SRCL districts should plan to participate. For questions, contact Jill B. Slack, PhD at jill.slack@la.gov or Michelle Handy at michelle.handy@la.gov. October 4, 2012
Webinar
3:15 p.m.
|
|
Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) Saturday Teacher Institutes
These two Saturday Institutes are provided as follow-up trainings for LEAs in Cohort 1 of the LDC Project. The Institutes are open to Cohort 1 teachers, administrators, and network staff. Cohort 2 teachers and administrators can also participate if they would like. Participants will receive additional support in literacy instruction and writing modules using the LDC framework. Please click the attachment below for the REVISED Professional Development Calendar and register on Coursewhere at LDC Saturday Institutes. For questions contact Jill B. Slack, PhD at jill.slack@la.gov or Michelle Handy at michelle.handy@la.gov .
October 27, 2012 & February 23, 2013
Bonnabel High School
2801 Bruin Drive
Kenner, LA
Time: Sign-in from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Session times: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
|
|
Journey to Careers Certification Training
Please forward to Curriculum Supervisors, Career and Technical Supervisors, Secondary Supervisors, Principals, Teachers.
This training is designed to provide the required certification for implementing and teaching the Journey to Careers curriculum to students in grades 7, 8 or 9. The second day of training is optional for those teachers with a secondary certification. Middle school teachers without a secondary certification are required to attend both days.
Date: Thursday, October 11, 2012 (Journey to Careers - Day One)
Friday, October 12, 2012 (Journey to Careers - Day Two)
Time: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Place: St. Landry Parish School Board Office Meeting Room
Registration is available through CourseWhere at Coursewhere.
For more information email: martha.moore@la.gov
|
Education for Careers Certification Training Please forward to all Curriculum Supervisors, Career and Technical Supervisors, Secondary Supervisors, Principals and Teachers. This training is designed to provide required certification for implementing and teaching Education for Careers (Parts I & II). Part I focuses on preparing students for lifelong learning and the 21st century workplace. Students will investigate options available after graduation, develop an understanding of financial concerns related to their future, and learn to utilize resources that will provide employment opportunities. Part II focuses on preparing students for learning beyond high school and demands of the 21st century workplace. As they enhance the soft skills required for success in the workplace, students will also investigate careers using available resources and develop personal print or web-based portfolio documents required in applying for jobs. Date: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 Time: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Place: St. Landry Parish School Board (Board Room) Date: Monday, October 15, 2012 Time: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Place: Bossier Instructional Center |
|
2012-2013 LASARD "Free" online Workgroups
Please forward to Special Education Supervisors, Principals, Counselors, Teachers, Para-Educators, and Related Service Providers.
LASARD will provide its next online workgroup titled, "Sharing Effective Strategies between Home and School" on Thursday, October 11, 2012, at 2:30 p.m. This one hour workgroup will discuss strategies to establish effective communication and to create partnerships between families and educators in order to enhance students' social and academic achievement. This workgroup is for teachers (both in general education and special education), administrators, and other educational team members.
Registration information is located online at LASARD Workgroup Schedule.
|
|
|
