DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAUNCHES INCREASED AND INTENSIVE SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Curriculum, Technology, and Budgeting Assistance Start with Statewide Call

BATON ROUGE, La. - Responding to requests from school districts for support across a range of critical activities, the Department of Education this week shared with school systems its plan for intensive and increased guidance and resources as districts prepare for the 2014-2015 school year. Administrators from every school district in the state joined a conference call yesterday for a briefing on the plan to increase support and the three levels of support the Department plans to provide. The new plan comes as school districts begin to prepare for the 2014-2015 school year, the first in which Louisiana will measure student reading, writing, and math in a way comparable to states across the country.

"Louisiana has committed to competing with peer states around the nation," said State Superintendent John White. "That's a big shift, and it requires that we provide as much support as possible to districts. We have listened to their specific requests and have responded with a package that increases the resources and support we offer."

As a basis for planning, the Department has produced a District Planning Guide booklet that supports district administrators through critical questions and issues.

Over the course of the next four months, the Department will produce specific tools and resources for district administrators, principals, and teachers to use in making the academic and budgeting decisions listed in the Guide for next school year:

• Instructional Resource Reviews: Reviews of published textbooks, assessments and curricula to support districts in making purchasing choices.
• Curriculum Guidebooks: Louisiana-developed guides for K-12 math and English Language Arts to support teachers with instruction, yearlong and unit planning.
• Professional Development Offerings: A menu of professional development offerings in math and English Language Arts to support teachers with implementation of curriculum.
• Spending Flexibility Guidance: Tools for districts in explaining the flexibilities associated with all state and federal money.
• Technology Footprint: School by school explanations of what will be necessary to get each school prepared for the 2014-15 assessment

The Department will make these resources available through bi-weekly communications to school districts. District staff will then be supported through three support structures:

• Department staff in Baton Rouge will host a regular conference call with District Planning Teams in every school system across the state, made up of senior staff in each district.
• Department Network Teams, located in parishes around the state and led by former top Louisiana school system administrators, will use the District Planning Guide to assist districts in using the resources provided.
• 4,000 Louisiana Teacher Leaders - an average of more than two per school statewide - will be trained through trainings this spring in curriculum and assessment planning. They will then be available to 're-deliver' training to colleagues in their home districts.

To find out more about the state's plan for increased, intensive support, including the District Planning Guide, statewide resources, or three tiers of support, please visit louisianabelieves.com.