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John White
State Superintendent of Education
877.453.2721
(toll-free)
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LDOE Weekly Newsletter 10/09/2012
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Dear Colleagues,
I first want to draw your attention to an op-ed in this weekend's Lake Charles American Press. Written by Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier, the article http://ow.ly/i/10lr8/original praises Louisiana school districts for taking on the challenge of Compass and discusses how Houston is emulating much of what we're doing. It goes on to discuss how improved feedback and compensation systems, such as those we have the opportunity to put in place, are helping districts to keep top teachers, a top priority in Houston. It is clear to me as I visit schools across the state that those districts and schools in which leaders see moments of change as opportunities for improvement are the ones that will have their children prepared to fulfill new expectations. Superintendent Grier's editorial http://ow.ly/i/10lr8/original speaks to this idea.
More immediately, we have taken your feedback on a number of fronts connected with the new school accountability system and will be bringing a number of small but important modifications to BESE next week. Please note that these changes do not affect the letter grade release later this month; these letter grades were calculated based on the previous methodology. For more information on the model, see this summary document. BESE will consider these
modifications to the new model next week.
Louisiana Believes starts with the idea that if we believe our children must achieve at higher levels, we have to believe that the adults closest to them can make good decisions on their behalf. We as leaders have to provide the best information we can to all who serve our children. Thank you continuing to get details in the hands of our educators and parents, and thank you for seeing amidst change opportunities for kids.
As always, thank you for all you do for our children,
John
John White
Louisiana Department of Education
Twitter @LouisianaSupe
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Assessments and Accountability
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Letter Grade Release
Letter grades will be released in approximately two weeks. Results and additional information will be provided to districts in advance of the public release so as to allow district leaders and principals time to review the results. Please look for more information in next week's newsletter.
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Top Gains Schools
With the letter grade release later this month, we will announce our 2011-2012 "Top Gains" schools. For this year, Top Gains schools are those schools that achieved their Growth Targets (and did not fail Subgroup AYP). Each of these schools will receive monetary rewards to be used for any educational purpose, as is the case with all MFP funds.
In future years, Top Gains schools will determined as follows:
- "A" schools that improve 5 or more SPS points overall (through general improvement or bonus points awarded for progress with students that are below grade level); OR
- "B" - "F" schools that improve 10 or more SPS points overall.
For more information on the newly created bonus, please click here for the summary doc.
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PASS: New Writing Prompts are Available for all Grades Now
To better prepare our students for the Common Core State Standards, the writing prompts on the transitional state assessments will ask students to read one or two passages and then write a composition that includes evidence from the text(s). Sample writing prompts are provided in the assessment guides, posted on the LDOE website at http://www.doe.state.la.us/topics/assessment_guides.html.
The Practice Assessment/Strengthen Skills (PASS) system has been updated to include opportunities for students to practice the text-based writing prompts. The prompts are designed to be similar to those on the LEAP, iLEAP and EOC tests that will be given this school year. Two writing prompts for each of grades 4 and 8 and English II and III are now available. One writing prompt for each of grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 was added to PASS on October 5. A report that includes the student's score and a brief explanation of the score will be returned by the PASS system two school days following the submission of the writing response.
All students may use PASS with any computer (home, school, whole classroom, etc.). The PASS system may be found at http://www.louisianapass.org/.
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2012-2013 Testing Schedule
Please forward to Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, District Test Coordinators
The 2012-2013 Testing Schedule has been adjusted for LAA 2 and EOC testing dates; makeup dates for EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT have been added to the testing schedule. LAA 2 (grades 10 and 11) has been moved from March 4-8, 2013 to April 8-17, 2013. For the EOC testing, a few days were removed from the December, May, and June testing windows. The makeup test date for EXPLORE (grade 9) and PLAN (grade 10) is April 2, 2013, and the ACT (grade 11) is April 23, 2013.
The revised 2012-2013 Testing Schedule is located at http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/19121.pdf.
If you have any questions, contact Bernadette Morris at Bernadette.morris@la.gov.
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Including Additional Students on the ACT State Testing Contract
Because we are proposing that BESE adjust the accountability system to include seniors' ACT scores, rather than juniors' ACT scores, the LDOE will fund a state-administration of the ACT that includes all juniors as well as any non-tested seniors (i.e., those seniors that have not yet taken the ACT). The list of the non-tested seniors will be verified with districts within the next two weeks.
If a district wishes to pay for additional students (e.g., all other seniors or seniors that scored below a certain threshold) to be tested on the state-wide administration date, then districts will need to sign an agreement for such children with the LDOE Finance Office by the end of the month. The cost is $32/student.
Please contact Jessica Baghian (jessica.baghian@la.gov) if you are interested in signing such an agreement.
For all other questions regarding ACT administration, please contact Bernadette Morris (bernadette.morris@la.gov). For all other questions regarding accountability, please contact Jennifer Baird (jennifer.baird@la.gov).
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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.
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Updating SLTs Mid-Year
Once teachers and leaders have set student learning targets (SLTs) at the beginning of the year, they may update them at any point in the year, if needed. Update to SLTs should be limited to extenuating circumstances, such as a change in teacher assignments or significant shifts in the student population a teacher serves. Any revisions to the original SLT should be approved by the teacher's evaluator. Districts may provide additional guidance to educators on this process, as appropriate.
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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.
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Advanced Placement® Fee Reimbursement
Please forward to all Principals, Counselors and AP® Coordinators.
With funding from the USDOE Advanced Placement® (AP®) Test Fee Program, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) will reimburse $57 for each AP® Exam taken by students enrolled in both public and BESE-approved nonpublic* schools who meet the definition of low-income. The fee reimbursements are for students who were enrolled in a rigorous course preparing them for the AP® exam taken during the May 2012 testing cycle, and were between the ages of 5 and 19 on exam day. Funds are limited and will be available until they are completely allocated. Please completed the attached AP ® Test Fee Reimbursement packet and return electronically to Dr. Ernise S Singleton by November 16, 2012.
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2012 CTE Supervisors Meeting
Please forward to career and Technical Supervisors.
In lieu of a face-to-face CTE Supervisors Meeting this Fall, CTE staff will host a series of modular professional development webinars. These two-hour webinars will be archived for subsequent viewing. Webinar topics will include:
· Perkins/LAP/CATE Reporting
· La Connect Updates and Career Pathways/IBCs
· Common Core State Standards Integration into CTE
· Monitoring
Additional information regarding dates and how to access the webinar will be included in next week's newsletter.
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Act 1 - RIF
As a reminder, the deadline to submit RIF policies was October 1, 2012. If you have not yet submitted your updated policy, please email it to act1@la.gov by Friday, October 12. The week of October 15, we will publish the districts that have submitted a policy, and publish those districts that meet or exceed minimum requirements.
The LDOE is using this rubric to assess the districts' new RIF policies' compliance with Act 1. Please note that recall lists are not permissable by 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.
If you have any questions, please contact Gary Jones at gary.jones@la.gov.
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Act 1 - Compensation
Act 1 requires that compensation for educators is linked to effectiveness and demand. This change is an opportunity for districts to:
- Align compensation policies with academic goals, priorities, and challenges
- Recruit, recognize and retain the highest performing, most valuable employees
The LDOE will provide support to districts as they design compensation plans that meet local priorities and satisfy the requirements of Act 1:
- In mid-October, the LDOE will release a suite of materials - including two, customizable, Act 1-compliant compensation models - to guide and support districts' work.
- In-person implementation support meetings will be held on October 23 (north Louisiana), 24 (Baton Rouge), and October 25 (New Orleans area). Exact times and locations will be published the week of October 15 via the Superintendent's Newsletter.
- Ongoing support and individual consultation will be available by contacting act1@la.gov.
If you have any questions, please contact Gary Jones at gary.jones@la.gov.
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FY 2011-2012 AFR Submission
Please forward to Business Managers and Financial Officials of Public School Districts, Charter Schools, Lab Schools, and State Agencies defined as an LEA for these purposes
Pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 17:92, each LEA must electronically submit their AFR (including all applicable fiscal project codes) to the LDE via the LEADS Portal https://leads3.doe.louisiana.gov/ptl/ no later than September 30, 2012.
Those LEAs that have not previously submitted their AFR as required by LRS 17:92 must submit their AFR immediately. The necessary forms and instructions may be accessed at http://www.louisianaschools.net/divisions/edfn/afr_instructions.html.
For further information or questions regarding reporting or coding, contact Keya Williams (Keya.Williams@la.gov) or Marella Houghton (Marella.Houghton@la.gov) at 225-342-8848. For questions regarding the filebuild tools or electronic submission process, contact David Kibbe (David.Kibbe@la.gov) at 225-342-9133.
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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.
The IDEA MOE review process requires LEAs to complete a full review of all methods in which an LEA can meet the IDEA MOE requirement. Therefore, the application includes the calculation of "Local Funds only" used for special educational purposes. Instructions and guidance for the "Local Funds only" method are available on the Confirmation's IDEA MOE Local Only Funds tab in eGMS.
For further information or questions, contact Nakia Jason, Federal Audit Supervisor, at Nakia.Jason@la.gov, or 1-877-453-2721.
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DHH File With Early Steps Participants
Please forward to all SER Coordinators.
The DHH file containing Early Steps participants have been added to your file share section of SER. The file is named "<your lea name> - From DHH- <month>". If you do not have a file, you did not have students on the list.
The Excel spreadsheet contains a list of children, ages 2 years 2 months or older, who are identified as having a current IFSP and are currently in the DHH system for the given month. These children are potential Part B participants. Transitioning children are those who have an active IFSP, regardless of whether or not they qualify for Part B.
These files are intended to aid in the Part C to Part B transitioning process. This announcement applies to LEAs 001-069 and 396.
Reminder: When adding these students to SER, be sure to complete the Part C transition fields at the bottom of the Pre-Referral Activities page. This data will be used in the completion of the SPP, Indicator # 12, Early Childhood Transition. School districts are required to be at 100% compliance in having the IEP completed AND IMPLEMENTED (services started) by the child's third birthday. An interim IEP and/or timeline extension is not allowed for the child transitioning from Part C to Part B.
Contact Cindy.Delaughter@la.gov with any problems or questions.
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IDEA Child Count
Please forward to 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 day to ask for technical assistance.
Attachment: Working Counted/Not Counted Report
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Data Status Forms
Attached are two PDF documents called Data Status Forms. These must be returned with the appropriate signatures by 5 p.m. on October 22. The forms can be returned via email (Cindy.Delaughter@la.gov) or fax (225.342.1912). These forms provide assurance that you are aware of and working on these data collections. Remember that the timely return of this form results in a positive mark for the SPP/APR Indicator 20-Timely and Accurate Data.
Attachment 1: Personnel Table Status
Attachment 2: IDEA Child Count Data Status Form
For questions with SER contact Cindy Delaughter (cindy.delaughter@la.gov).
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Additional State Provided Trainings
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Journey to Careers Certification Training Please forward to all Curriculum Supervisors, Career and Technical Supervisors, Secondary Supervisors, Principals and 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 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Place: Meeting Room at the St. Landry Parish School Board Office Date: Thursday, October 18, 2012 (Journey to Careers - Day One) Friday, October 19, 2012 (Journey to Careers - Day Two) Time: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Place: Tara High School Registration is available through CourseWhere at Coursewhere. For more information email: martha.moore@la.gov. |
Education for Careers Certification Training Please forward to 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: Monday, October 15, 2012
Time: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Place: Bossier Instructional Center
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Time: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Place: Tara High School
Registration is available through Coursewhere. For more information email: martha.moore@la.gov. |
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20th Annual First Freedom Student Competition
Please forward to all High School Social Studies and ELA Teachers and Curriculum Supervisors, Media/Librarians, Guidance Counselors.
The First Freedom Center announces the 20th annual First Freedom Student Competition. This national essay and video contest offers 9th - 12th grade students an opportunity to compete for $2,500 awards as they examine the First Amendment and the history and implementation of freedom of religion and conscience in American democracy and the world today. Students then present their evaluation in written essay or video format. This year's topic introduces students to George Washington's famous Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island of 1790. Students must register online on or before Monday, November 12, 2012, and the postmark deadline for mailing the essay or video with its accompanying entry materials is Monday, November 26, 2012. For the complete topic, essay and video guidelines, registration, classroom poster, student flyer and other details, visit www.firstfreedom.org, and click on the red First Freedom Student Competition button (center column).
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