A national education publication’s annual ranking of state education efforts again reveals a mixed bag for Louisiana, with high scores for standards and accountability but a failing grade for overall student achievement in grades kindergarten through 12. Education Week released the results of its annual “Quality Counts” survey today, giving Louisiana an overall grade of 77.2—a “C+.” That is slightly higher than the national average of 76.5, and it puts the state at No. 23 nationwide. The state gets “A’s” from the survey under the heading of “Standards, Assessments and Accountability.” But under K-12 achievement, the score is 59.1, an “F”. Among the factors contributing to that grade is performance on National Assessment for Educational Progress tests given to fourth- and eighth-graders. The ranking comes soon after two key changes in public education governance in Louisiana. A new state superintendent of education, John White, was approved Monday by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. White is a former New York City school official who last year became head of the Recovery School District—the state agency that took over most New Orleans public schools after Hurricane Katrina and also is overseeing poorly performing schools in other parts of the state. White quickly tapped Patrick Dobard as the new head of the Recovery School District, pending BESE approval. Dobard, a New Orleans native, is a former teacher and was on the state education department’s staff before coming to the RSD. See the state’s full report card at the Education Week website here.
Today’s poll question: What grade would you give Louisiana’s public schools?
