Louisiana

Like a phoenix up from the ashes, the Bayou State has adopted leading parent empowerment measures in the last seven years that have helped reverse decades of decline. Thousands of children once stuck in failing schools now have access to the private schools of their choice, and a robust charter law serves students in need. In addition, more digital learning opportunities are available across the state, a dramatic change in teacher tenure and accountability for all schools has been enacted, and parents have ready access to information, driving a high Parent Power Index where once none existed.

Louisiana’s Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program is awarded to income-qualified students in failing schools. The program is currently funded at $9.7 million, awarding scholarships to nearly 5,000 students. Louisiana also has a pilot voucher program for special needs students and a scholarship tax credit for low-income students. In 2012, teachers unions and local school boards brought the voucher program, and Gov. Jindal’s overall education reform package, to court for being unconstitutional. The case will be heard in State Supreme Court in Spring 2013. The state permits parents some choices among traditional public schools by allowing students in low performing schools to attend another school within their district, but to move from one district to another requires the districts to agree to such transfers, limiting their options.

SOURCE: The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice

Louisiana has an above average charter school law that has improved slowly since a robust charter movement began in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Outside of the Recovery District, however, traditional school districts neither encourage nor promote the creation of charter schools. Having an independent authorizer would help encourage charter growth.

SOURCE: The Essential Guide to Charter School Law 2013 National Ranking and Scorecard

Louisiana\'s Virtual School dates back to 2000 and while the state score high on across other elements of digital learning, it failed on student eligibility and access. Policy allows for multiple providers, but in practice access has been limited for students.

SOURCE: Digital Learning Now!

Objective evidence of student learning and subjective teacher evaluations are weighted equally, and make up 50 percent of their annual evaluations. Louisiana teachers receive feedback about their evaluations and their professional development is aligned with evaluation findings. Tenure can be lost after one ineffective rating and is only received if a teacher has five of six highly effective ratings. Teachers who receive unsatisfactory evaluations are required to go on improvement plans and are eligible for dismissal if they do not improve.

Louisiana has one of the most comprehensive performance pay policies in the country, requiring all human resources decisions to be based on a combination of performance, demand and experience.

SOURCE: National Council on Teacher Quality

Very parent-friendly data is provided by the state department of education. Parents can access a letter grade for their school along with a comprehensive report card. Parents can customize and download reports for every school in the state or compare just a few. Links to both charter school information and applications for the state’s voucher program are provided on the homepage. For the 68 local school boards, elections are held every four years in October.