February 24, 2015 - Louisiana Department of Education

 February 24, 2015
Superintendents' Message
Dear Colleagues,
Under Louisiana's accountability plan, launched in 1999, our state has made great academic progress. Because our results still
lag behind most other states, however, in 2009 Louisiana educators participated in the Common Core State Standards
initiative, to compete on a level playing field with states across the country. This was a profound increase in the ambitions of
Louisiana's plan.
Longstanding state laws and processes guide the Louisiana accountability plan. Yesterday I responded to a series of opinion
pieces authored by legislators in papers statewide this weekend, stating the Department's plans to heed those laws and
processes, and to sustain our commitment to competition and the Louisiana plan.
I first announced the Department will propose to BESE to commence the legally required standards review process - conducted
once every seven years under BESE rules - this fall, concluding on time in 2016. The Department would, as always in the
past, convene committees to review English and math standards, to assess the standards' effectiveness at preparing students
for college and the workplace, and to make any adjustments where the standards need to be strengthened.
Second, I announced that, per Louisiana law, the Department will issue a request for proposals for a new testing services
contract upon the expiration of current testing contracts this summer. Per the law, the new vendor will deliver a test that
measures state standards and generates results comparable to other states. To ensure consistency with Louisiana's academic
direction over the past five years, the test would include PARCC questions vetted by Louisiana educators, but it would not be
limited to those questions (PARCC is a set of high-quality test questions used by a consortium of states, not a testing services
vendor). The vendor would reduce the volume of tests taken by high school students, would provide parents in grades K-2 a
guideline for whether their children are on track, and would ensure parents can review a full sample test form each year.
Finally, I announced that in order to ensure consistency and accuracy in a time of change, the Department will propose a twoyear "baseline" period, extending the current baseline year from 2014-2015 to 2015-2016. This means that letter grade
distributions will be held constant in 2016 and that schools may use transitional growth data rather than value-added data for
evaluation purposes in 2016.
In the days to come, the Department will also announce policies guiding the Compass process for 2016-2017 and beyond,
after the baseline period is completed.
Louisiana's accountability plan started 16 years ago. By 2025 schools maintaining an A letter grade will have an average
student performance of "mastery." This is a long-term process. By heeding longstanding laws and processes, and by remaining
faithful to the idea of accountability for student learning, our state will raise expectations for children and ourselves.
As always, thank you for all you do for our children, John
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John White
Louisiana Department of Education
Twitter @LouisianaSupe
In This Issue:
Superintendents' Message
District Support
High School Opportunities
Assessment & Accountability
Data
Finance
Other
Education in the News
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District Support Superintendent's Conference Call
You are invited to participate in the Superintendents' Conference Call hosted by State Superintendent John White on
Wednesday, February 25, at 10:30 a.m. You may begin dialing into the call 15 minutes in advance.
To join the Superintendents' Conference Call on February 25, please see the webinar information below:
Webinar Login Information (*No pre-registration required)
Click here to join the meeting or go to https://louisianaschools.adobeconnect.com/suptscall/
Dial into the Phone Bridge: (866) 244-4526
When prompted, please give the Meeting ID # 1647405
You will need to identify yourself in order to be placed into the meeting
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District Planning Call
This week's district planning call will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. To view the
presentation for tomorrow's call, click here.
Webinar Login Information: (*No pre-registration required)
Meeting Name: February District Planning Call
Click here to join the meeting or go to https://louisianaschools.adobeconnect.com/dpc/
Enter meeting room as a guest and provide your name
Audio access: (800) 832-0736 / room number: 3423625
*Note: This call is limited in capacity. Please listen in with your colleagues to the extent possible to keep as many lines open
as possible. All calls are recorded and posted.
COMPASS Recommendation Conference Call
You are invited to participate in a conference call on Thursday, February 26, at 3:30 p.m. During this call, State
Superintendent John White will discuss policy proposals guiding the Compass process for 2016-2017 and beyond, after the
"baseline" period is completed.
To join the conference call on February 26, please use the information below:
Conference Call Information (*No pre-registration required)
Dial into the Phone Bridge: (866) 206-6154
When prompted, please give the meeting ID #: 1653001
Preparing for PARCC: Weekly Update
In spring 2015, Louisiana will administer the PARCC assessments for English language arts and mathematics in grades 3
through 8. Resources listed below are available to assist educators in preparing for the new assessments.
Communications and Resources
PARCC Practice Test and Guidance Documents
Go to the PARCC page on the Department website to access the PARCC practice tests and guidance documents
*Practice tests have been available since the summer of 2014.
*PARCC released paper-based versions of the practice test over the past few months.
MP3 and Text-to-Speech Read-Aloud Resources for PARCC
Districts can order MP3 and Text-to-Speech files through their District Test Coordinator using the Accommodations Materials
Order Form. These files will be delivered securely to districts just before the testing window.
PARCC Test Coordinator Manuals, Test Administrator Manuals, and Louisiana Addendum
The PARCC Test Coordinator Manuals, Test Administrator Manuals, and Louisiana Addendum are available on the eDirect
website located here.
Weekly PARCC Office Hours
Background: Dedicated time to answer educator questions related to the PARCC assessments
When: Every Thursday at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Access: Join the PARCC Office Hours here.
Recorded Webinars in the Assessment Library
IEP Accommodations for PARCC
IAP/504 Accommodations for PARCC
LEP Accommodations for PARCC
PNP Accessibility Features for PARCC
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PARCC Preparation Best Practice Spotlight
Central Community Schools Central Middle School is preparing students and staff members for PARCC testing by simulating school-wide PARCC practice
test sessions. During these sessions, students report to their official testing site and complete sections of the PARCC practice
test that are later used for diagnostic reviews and intervention planning by educators. To support these types of efforts, the
LDOE created practice test guidance documents that can be found here.
Allen Parish Teachers in Allen Parish personally took PARCC practice test units so that they could better understand the experiences that
students will have during spring testing. These exercises allowed teachers to explore the format of the test in an authentic way,
and realize that they share a responsibly to prepare students for academic success. The PARCC practice test can be
found here.
Have additional questions? Please use the question Inbox at assessment@la.gov.
Send questions about Louisiana's state assessments, and they will be answered directly by our assessment staff.
Additional Key Resources
*Updated PARCC FAQ Document
PARCC Practice Tests and Guidance
Assessment Guides
Month-by-Month Assessment Checklist
Parent Engagement Guide
2014-15 Louisiana Assessment Calendar
PARCC Accessibility and Accommodations Manual
Quick Guide to Accessibility and Accommodations
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Checklist
Apply to Design and Lead a Session at the Teacher Leader Summit
The Department is now accepting applications for Teacher Leaders, principals, and district personnel to design and present
sessions at the Teacher Leader Summit (June 4-5, 2015) in New Orleans. If interested, please review and complete the
application here by March 18.
The Summit will bring together more than 5,000 educators and content experts from across the state to share their knowledge,
learn new skills, and prepare for the upcoming 2015-16 school year. Sessions will cover a variety of topics such as setting
goals, planning for and delivering high-quality instruction, assessing, and reflecting on results to foster student and teacher
improvement.
If you have any questions, please email LouisianaTeacherLeaders@la.gov.
Department Names the 2016 Teacher and Principal of the Year Semi-Finalists
The Louisiana Department of Education recognizes that great teachers and school leaders are critical to student success.
Annually, the Department, in partnership with Dream Teachers, honors the state's most exceptional educators through the
Teacher and Principal of the Year programs. This year, over 60 districts submitted nominations for Teacher and Principal of the
Year. The Department is proud to announce this year's Teacher and Principal of the Year semi-finalists.
All Teacher and Principal of the Year honorees will be honored at the 9th Annual Cecil. J. Picard Educator Excellence
Symposium and Celebration on Saturday, July 11, 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Congratulations to these outstanding educators!
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2015 Advanced Placement � / International Baccalaureate � Fee Reimbursement Program
To encourage and enrich growth of the AP � and IB � Programs, the Louisiana Department of Education is now accepting
applications for AP �/IB� exam fee reimbursement, IB � diploma program registration fee reimbursement, and AP � summer
institute fee reimbursement. Funds are limited and will be available until they are completely allocated.
Click here to apply for 2015 AP � Exam Fee Reimbursement
Click here to apply for 2015 AP � Summer Institute Fee Reimbursement
Click here to apply for 2015 IB � Exam and Registration Fee Reimbursement
Applications will be accepted through Friday, March 6, 2015.
Participants are encouraged to participate in the February 26 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. webinar below providing information
on the 2015 AP �/IB� fee reimbursement program.
Webinar Login Information (*no pre-registration required)
Meeting Name: 2015 AP �/IB� Fee Reimbursement Program
To join the meeting go to https://louisianaschools.adobeconnect.com/ap_ibfeereimbursementprogram/
Enter meeting room as a guest and provide your name
Audio access: (800) 832-0736/ room number: 2834406 2015 Diploma Order Forms
Please forward to all district superintendents, diploma and transcript contact persons, principals and counselors.
Please use the Diploma Order Form to submit your diploma order for 2015 graduates and reissued high school diplomas. We
recommend ordering enough to cover midterm and summer graduates, printing errors, and at least a 10% overage.
The Department will cover the costs for the initial order and distribution, but districts will be billed directly by State Printing for
orders made after the March 2 deadline and throughout the school year.
Only one order form should be submitted for each public school district. Lab schools, Type 2 Charter schools, special schools
and nonpublic schools that administer the state's assessments should also submit an order form.
For Certificate of Achievement procedure, please click here.
Course Choice Registration Overview
Course Choice registration for the 2015-16 academic year is scheduled to open in early April. Course Choice offers students
opportunities to pursue college coursework, Advanced Placement courses, and career training that prepare them for
opportunities after high school. In preparation for the opening of registration, LDOE will host three webinars on accessing the
Course Choice Registration System for high school principals and school counselors (covering the same content). The webinar
will focus on locating courses, registering students, approving/rejecting enrollment requests, and withdrawing enrollment
requests.
The webinars will be held:
Tuesday, March 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 24 at 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 26 at 3:00 p.m.
Webinar information below: (*No pre-registration required)
Meeting Name: Course Choice Registration Overview
Click https://louisianaschools.adobeconnect.com/ccregoverview/ to join the meeting
Enter meeting room as a guest and provide your name
Audio access: (800) 832-0736 / room number: 1053465
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For additional information, please contact coursechoice@la.gov.
2015 Jump Start Super Summer Institute
The 2015 Jump Start Super Summer Institute is scheduled for July 20-24, 2015 at the South Louisiana Community College in
Lafayette, LA. The institute, co-hosted by the Louisiana Department of Education, South Louisiana Community College, and
Louisiana Community and Technical College System, will provide teacher certification training for Industry-Based Jump Start
certifications/pathways: Appendix 3.
To help identify the training needs for Jump Start instructional staff for each LEA, please complete a brief survey by March 10,
2015. Survey is located at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SuperSummerPreferences.
The Department will pay training costs as well as lunch for secondary instructors during the institute. Districts are responsible
for all travel expenses and a nominal registration fee ($150.00/person) for which districts may use their Career Development
Funds (CDF).
Please direct all questions about the 2015 Jump Start Super Summer Institute to JumpStart@la.gov .
Assessment & Accountability
Assessment and Accountability Monthly Contact Call and Webinar
Please forward to all test coordinators and accountability contacts.
The March Monthly Assessment and Accountability Contact Call and Webinar is scheduled on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at
9:00 a.m.
Webinar Login Information: (*No pre-registration required)
Meeting Name: March Assessment and Accountability Monthly Call
Click here to join the meeting or go to https://louisianaschools.adobeconnect.com/dtc/
Enter the meeting room as a guest and provide your name
Audio access: (800) 832-0736 / room number: 3423602
2015-16 Louisiana Assessment Calendar
Please forward to all test coordinators and accountability contacts.
The 2015-16 Louisiana Assessment Calendar is now available here in the Assessment Library. The calendar includes
assessments for small populations, grades 3-8, and high school.
Please email assessment@la.gov with any questions or concerns.
Hands-On Trainings for Online Systems (March 2015)
Test coordinators and accountability contacts are invited to attend half-day hands-on trainings on online assessment systems
during the month of March.
Test coordinators and accountability contacts are invited to attend half-day hands-on trainings on online assessment systems
during the month of March.
LEAP Web and LEAP Data:
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March 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Gonzales
March 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Harvey
March 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Alexandria
EOC Administration:
March 25 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Gonzales
March 26 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Harvey
March 30 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Alexandria
The content of the LEAP Web and LEAP Data trainings will be similar to that of the January Hands-On Trainings for
Assessment Systems.
Attendance is optional. Registration will be available in Coursewhere.
Please contact assessment@la.gov with any questions.
Data
Compass End of Year Processes
Attention: District CVR Data Managers and Compass Evaluators
The Department has released the Compass 2014-2015: Guide to End-of-Year Processes. The purpose of this document is to
highlight necessary actions and technical guidance to ensure final evaluations for school personnel are completed by July 31,
2015.
For questions related to this process or the supporting guide, please contact your Network Data Specialist or
email compass@la.gov. Data Coordinator Webinar
Please forward to all data coordinators.
The Department will hold its monthly webinar for LEA managers of SPS, SPC, CUR, SIS, PEP, STS, SER, and AFR on
Wednesday, March 4 at 2:00 p.m. Topics will include upcoming submission deadlines, system updates and enhancements.
For more information, contact SystemSupport@la.gov or visit the INSIGHT Coordinator's Portal.
Webinar Login Information: (*No pre-registration required) Meeting Name: System Data Coordinator Webinar
Click here or go to https://louisianaschools.adobeconnect.com/dcw/
Enter meeting room as a guest and provide your name
Audio access: To connect audio by phone, choose the Dial-Out option upon entering.
FTP Site Refresh
Please forward to all data coordinators.
Due to the volume of data on the FTP site, it can be difficult to locate specific files to download. In an effort to make files
easier to access and the FTP site easier to use, the Data Governance team will do a refresh of FTP folders. Data coordinators
will be receiving updated FTP folder names, usernames, and passwords via email. New FTP guidelines include:
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Districts and charter sites will be notified prior to scheduled data drop.
Files placed on the FTP site will only be accessible for 30 days. The expiration date for a file will be noted when the scheduled drop is communicated.
Both "old" and "new" FTP sites will be available until March 4, 2015. After March 4, "old" FTP sites will be deleted along with
all folders and their content. District coordinators must download any files they wish to retain prior to the March 4 deadline.
Please contact LDEData@la.gov with any questions.
Finance
The Cecil J. Picard LA4 Early Childhood Program
Please forward to district coordinators for the LA4 Program, business managers and financial officials of public school districts
and charter schools. The revised allocations for the FY 2014-15 Cecil J. Picard LA4 Early Childhood Program have been
released:
LA4 Revised Allocation Memo - FY 2015 Please complete and submit revisions through the Electronic Grant Management System (EGMS) to reflect your revised
allocations no later than Friday, February 26, 2015 to ldegrants@la.gov. Revised grant award notifications are available in
the Grant Award Program (GAP) system. Should you have questions regarding this information, please contact
john.baxter@la.gov.
Career Development Funds (CDF) Please forward to business managers and financial officials of public school districts, charter schools and special schools.
Funding of Career Development Funds (CDF) is provided in the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) for FY2014-15. The
allocation schedule, found here, and payments will be made by February 27. Contact Dave.Lefkowith@la.gov if you have any questions or need additional information.
Other Louisiana Special Education State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Offers Four
Professional Development Webinars
SPDG is hosting two remaining training webinars on the following Wednesday's at 10:00 a.m.
These webinars are intended to cover a variety of topics. The first webinar will focus on how to use data to measure
implementation of effective practices. The second webinar will address how data, policies, and practices can be used
to address discipline. The third webinar will explain the use of data binders when serving students in general education
classrooms. The fourth webinar will show the connection of family engagement with student learning. If your school or district is
concerned with any of these issues, these webinars will provide you with assistance.
For more information and how to access each of the webinars, please click the corresponding links below.
February 25- Inclusive Practices: Keeping it all Together: The Importance of Using Student Data Binders for Students with
Disabilities
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March 4- Family Engagement Connecting the Dots: Linking Family Engagement to Student Learning
Health, Physical Education and Vending Survey
If your school district has not completed the annual health and physical education survey, the Healthy Communities Section
needs your assistance in completing the survey by March 6, 2015.
The Department of Education is required to monitor and evaluate health and physical education, vending machine policies and
School Health Advisory Council activities and provide an annual report to the Legislature. Your participation in this survey is
critical in providing quality, accurate data to the Senate and House Committees on Health and Welfare. It is important to note
that data is analyzed and disseminated collectively and not by individual district.
Please have only one person complete the survey.
Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SL3TGCP
Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)/ARMY Engineering and Construction Camp
The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) is accepting applications from qualified high school sophomores and
juniors interested in attending the SAME/ARMY Engineering and Construction Camp, June 7-13, 2015 in Vicksburg, MS.
Forty students from across the nation will be competitively selected to attend the camp. The students will be housed at the
168th Engineer Command Building and will engage in hands-on engineering and construction activities under the mentorship
and supervision of SAME professionals and others from the local engineering community. The program includes interaction with
representatives of architecture/ engineering firms, construction companies, Military leaders, and Corps of Engineers' employees.
The camp fee is $50, and the deadline for applications is March 20, 2015.
The camp brochure and application are attached. For more information, please contact Henry Dulaney at 601-631-7724, or
Jennifer Chambers at 601-634-7162 or visit the web site at http://samevicksburg.org/engineering-camp/ or
https://www.facebook.com/samearmycamp.
Education in the News
Four area school districts part of Jump Start team Lousiana special education overhaul still facing multiple points of controversy J.W. Faulk principal lauds positive progress
LPSS notifying parents of math help available
Schools providing students with pathways to careers
LDOE Contacts
LDOE Links
John White
State Superintendent of Education
(toll-free) 877.453.2721 Twitter @LouisianaSupe
LDOE Website
Contact Us
STAY CONNECTED
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