The Louisiana Association of School Superintendents has issued a statement about the state's proposed changes to the accountability system for high schools. They say it's not in the best interest of students.
We reached out to the state Department of Education, but they said they wouldn't have any comment prior to Tuesday, when the proposed changes are on the agenda for a BESE committee meeting that begins at 10 a.m. in the Claiborne Building in Baton Rouge. To review the proposed changes for yourself, click here.
On Friday, several education groups made statements critical of the proposed changes. St. Landry Parish Superintendent Patrick Jenkins, who is president of the superintendents' association, sent the following statement:
BESE is proposing a change to the High School accountability system solely to reduce the number of High Schools rated A or B, not to make the accountability system a better reflection of our public schools. After the proposal was reviewed by Superintendents and accountability experts, it was found NOT to be in the best interest of students. Forcing students into college-level classes in High School does nothing to ensure they master High School content.
LASS and other education groups propose an accountability system based upon a simple 100-point scale aligned to the A-F grading scale that all of our parents understand. The system divides college & career readiness, ACT/WorkKeys, and Growth to result in A-F grades using a 10-point scale. It aligns ACT to TOPS and to WorkKeys. It focuses on grading High Schools for accomplishing High School education. It incentivizes both dual enrollment and career credentials but does not demand college work from High School students. It scales growth by recognizing that all growth is positive. It recognizes students who graduate on time and students whom strive to finish after 4 years. It equally recognizes college-ready students AND career-ready students. It also recognizes readiness for Military Service. It recognizes the achievement of SPED students who are prepared to enter the workforce. This proposal offers a more accurate reflection of students and schools. It will also be better for students, families, businesses, and communities to understand.
For those that ask, “What will the letter-grade distribution be under your proposal?”, we didn’t run the numbers. Our goal was to formulate a system that is better for students, parents, and communities – NOT to decide what the outcome of the math should be then reverse engineer the formula to accomplish a predetermined result.
Later Friday, a group of superintendents, including Lewis, and others involved in education held a virutal press conference to speak against the proposed changes.
A complete video recording of the press conference is available here [we.tl].
“St. Helena Parish School District - like so many small, rural, low-socioeconomic, and majority African American districts - faces real and tangible barriers compared to more affluent districts. Even with constant flux in accountability standards over the years, districts like ours have made noticeable progress. That progress is likely to be erased if the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) proposed accountability reforms are implemented,” said Kelli Joseph, superintendent of St. Helena Parish. “The proposed reforms aren’t based on actual performance data or with any clear understanding of disparities that exist across our state. The state’s proposal - which is backed by special interest groups - sets small districts up to fail and tells our learners that their accomplishments do not matter.”
A release states that "the proposed reforms, which are being pushed by outside special interest groups, threaten to create inequitable and discriminatory consequences for special populations of students including but not limited to minority, economically disadvantaged, special needs, and EL students. Additionally, the reforms are likely to result in discriminatory consequences for less affluent school systems and the devaluing of career education for Louisiana graduates in the Department’s current proposal."
“Equity is a huge factor in determining accountability. We agree with the evaluation of schools and systems, but we believe the options proposed by superintendents should be considered,” said West Carroll Superintendent Christy Boyt. “In addition, we believe it is important for parents to be able to access and understand the accountability formulas. The 100 point scale presented by LASS will be much easier for all parents to understand because of its similarity to a 100-point grading scale.”
Also speaking against the changes were the Louisiana Association of Educators, the Louisiana School Board Association and a New Orleans attorney.
Our media partners at The Advocate reported in August that BESE has put off action on the proposed changes until this month "amid heavy opposition from local superintendents."
State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley and others have said for months that major changes are needed in high school evaluations, especially since 70% are rated A or B despite signs those grades are wildly inflated, The Advocate reported in August. To read that story, click here.
