Monday, November 16, 2009

Statewide School Facilities Trip and Race to the Top update

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The Cowen Institute is pleased to share with you the latest in K-12 education policy at the local, state and federal levels.

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The Cowen Institute Joins State Sen. Gray Evans and Rep. Peterson on 2nd Annual Statewide School Facilities Tour

As part of a statewide tour of school facilities on Thursday, November 12, State Sen.Cheryl Gray Evans (District 5-New Orleans) and Rep. Karen Carter Peterson (District 93-New Orleans), along with the Cowen Institute, visited four schools in East Baton Rouge and Lafayette Parishes. Since the 2007 legislative session, Gray Evans and Carter Peterson have worked to improve school facilities for all children in Louisiana. The tour highlighted the need for state funding for better school buildings. Click here for a slideshow of the tour.

In Baton Rouge, Superintendent John Dilworth, School Board Member W.T. Winfield, the Louisiana Department of Education and the Louisiana School Board Association joined the tour. They visited Istrouma High School and Bernard Terrace Elementary School. Click here for a local television report.

In Lafayette, representatives from Lafayette Parish School System, Parish President Joey Durel, Mark Herbert from U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu’s office and the League of Women Voters of Lafayette joined the tour. They visited Green T. Lindon Elementary School and L. J. Alleman Middle School. Click here for a local television report.

Among the problems witnessed by members of the tour were severe overcrowding, inside walls disintegrating from water damage, uncovered and unprotected walkways from portables housing half of the student population, classrooms that are not comfortable temperatures due to dilapidated windows, and asbestos tiles. These school facility issues result in loss of instructional time, bathroom lines 16 kids deep, students drenched every time it rains, and an inability to utilize 21st century technology.

During the 2009 Regular Legislative Session, Senator Gray Evans and Representative Peterson introduced two bills to help local school districts secure funds from the state to partially match local funds dedicated solely to school facilities—Senate Bill 90 and House Bill 689. The legislature passed the School Facilities Fund and Governor Jindal signed the School Facilities Fund into law. It is now Act 226. However, no funding was appropriated, due in part to resistance by the Governor. Senator Gray Evans and Representative Peterson plan to introduce additional measures in the next legislative session that would provide support to local districts for school facilities.

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Tulane President Scott Cowen Recognized for His Commitment to K-12 Education

In its November 13th issue, TIME magazine named Tulane President Scott Cowen among the nation's 10 Best College Presidents. The article praises Cowen for “helping to reconfigure the city’s devastated public schools,” and underscores Tulane’s commitment to rebuilding New Orleans. The top 10 ranking focuses on presidents who are deeply engaged with their communities. Read the article here.
 

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Associate Director of the Cowen Institute is Principal for a Day at Cohen High School

On Friday, November 13, Nash Molpus, Associate Director for the Cowen Institute, and State Representative Walt Leger (District 91) spent half a day shadowing Principal Al Jones at Walter Cohen Senior High School. Principal for a Day is an annual event held by HandsOn New Orleans. Its purpose is to bring business and community leaders from all walks of life together to experience first-hand the accomplishments and challenges of our city’s public schools.

To read about Principal for a Day in the Cohen High School faculty newsletter, click here.  

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U.S. Department of Education Releases Final Rules for Race to the Top

On Thursday, November 12, the U.S. Department of Education released the final rules for states to apply for the $4 billion in grants available through the federal Race to the Top Fund. The department received 1,161 comments about the draft version during a 30-day comment period that ended in August, and the final regulations are slightly revised.

States applying for funding will be evaluated primarily on whether they make a persuasive case for their education reform agenda, demonstrate significant buy-in from local school districts, and develop plans to evaluate teachers and principals based on student performance. The single biggest category for states is improving teacher and principal effectiveness, worth 138 points out of a total 500 possible points.

The department will hold two rounds of competition for the grants. For the first round, it will accept states' applications until the middle of January, 2010. Peer reviewers will evaluate the applications and the department will announce the winners of the first round of funding next spring. Applications for the second round will be due June 1, 2010, with the announcement of all the winners by Sept. 30, 2010.

Only a handful of states are expected to win a portion of the four-year grant, and Louisiana has been named as a front-runner by several national groups.

Last week, the Louisiana Department of Education held at statewide Race to the Top Summit to allow stakeholders to hear the details of its proposed application plan and to provide feedback. The plan, titled Why We Can’t Wait, calls on districts throughout the state to voluntarily overhaul some of their lowest-performing schools.

To read the details of the Race to the Top Fund final rules, including the complete application, click here .

To access the Louisiana Department of Education’s Race to the Top initiative, click here .
 

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Legislation Introduced to Expand and Improve K-12 Literacy Programs

Last week, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (WA) introduced legislation that would replace three federal reading programs—Early Reading First, Reading First, and Striving Readers—and would authorize $2.35 billion in funding to improve reading and writing in kindergarten to 12th grade. The Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation Act, or “LEARN Act,” (S. 2740), would authorize at least 10 percent of the funding to go to early-childhood education, at least 40 percent for students in grades K-5, and at least 40 percent for students in grades 6-12.

Representatives John Yarmuth (KY) and Jarred Polis (CO) are expected to introduce similar legislation in the House. The comprehensive-literacy bill will likely be rolled into the upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as No Child Left Behind).

To read the complete legislation, click here .
 

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