Louisiana is short listed for Race to the Top based on education reforms already in place

March 9, 10:34 AMNew Orleans Real Estate ExaminerSandi Stroud

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Arthur Ashe Charter School on Laurel St

photo: firstline schools

Louisiana is among the finalists for the first round of the federal $4.35 billion Race to the Top (R2T) grant program. The list of states, released by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), identifies 16 finalists from the initial pool of 41 applicants. The competitive R2T grant is designed to encourage states to pursue education reform initiatives. The next step for Louisiana and the other finalists is an interview that will take place in Washington during the week of March 15. Finalists will be asked to clarify the information presented in their applications for grant reviewers.

Governor Bobby Jindal said, "Louisiana is honored to have been selected as a finalist in the national Race to the Top competition. The announcement today confirms that we are on the right track in making our educational system truly world-class. We’ve said all along that we will pursue the initiatives outlined in Race to the Top regardless, but this support will allow us to scale up reforms and more quickly make the transition. We are excited to be a part of the Race to the Top network of finalists, as we implement value-added teacher evaluations, turn around failing schools, and grow more high-quality charter schools to serve our communities and our children."

Louisiana, which has been identified as a strong contender due to reforms already underway, is asking the federal government for $314 million in its R2T application. A highlight of Louisiana’s application is the unparalleled allegiance of more than 200 organizations around the state and country that pledged to support and contribute to Louisiana’s R2T initiative over the four-year cycle of the grant. In addition to the commitment of participating local districts and charter schools, the state’s application included the signatures of Governor Bobby Jindal, Attorney General James “Buddy” Caldwell, and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education President Keith Guice, as well as letters of support from more than 20 legislators, including House Speaker Jim Tucker and Senate President Joel Chaisson.

Louisiana’s application, Our Children Can’t Wait: Louisiana’s Blueprint for Education Reform, is centered on ensuring that across the state, every student is taught by an effective teacher, and every teacher is supported by an effective leader. Based on current enrollment numbers for the 28 districts and 56 charter schools that signed on as Participating Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), Louisiana’s R2T program could directly impact nearly half of the state’s total student population, 51 percent of the state’s total free and reduced-price meal population and nearly 58 percent of Louisiana’s total minority student population. And more than 72 percent of the student population enrolled in these districts and schools participates in the federal free and reduced-meal program, which is six points higher than the state average. The percentage of students participating in the federal free and reduced-price meal programs is commonly used to measure poverty in a specific population.

If Louisiana is successful at securing a portion of the federal grant, 50 percent of the funding received by the state will be allocated to Participating LEAs, while the remaining 50 percent will be allocated to statewide initiatives to benefit all districts and schools. Local education leaders say the additional resources will allow districts to advance their progress since the funding must be utilized not to fill budget gaps, but to implement significant change.

Other states selected as finalists include: Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee.