[StBernard] Times-Pic: Louisiana schools are better, but the work is far from done

[Westley Annis]

Louisiana schools are better, but the work is far from done

New Orleans Times-Picayune
Editorial
November 06, 2011

"Louisiana's educational reforms, from the accountability system put in
place over the past 15 years to the transformation of New Orleans' public
schools after Hurricane Katrina, have greatly expanded options for many
families and improved the academic performance of thousands of children...

But Louisiana's results in a national exam ... show how far we have to go --
and why officials must remain focused on improving the quality of schools in
our region and the rest of the state.

Louisiana's fourth- and eighth-graders slightly improved their average
scores in reading and math on the latest National Assessment of Educational
Progress...

Gov. Bobby Jindal said the results 'show that we're moving in the right
direction. But we need to quickly accelerate our progress.'

The governor is right.

He has said that he plans to focus on education reform during his second
term... [H]e named important areas of concern, including giving parents more
choices in where their children can attend school, offering more information
about schools to help parents make decisions and expanding teacher
evaluations to reward educators who improve student achievement. The
governor is right to highlight these areas...

[T]the improving performance in the state's accountability system by
students in New Orleans, where reforms have been applied more broadly,
clearly show that the changes the RSD and BESE have pushed for are moving us
in the right direction.

The latest NAEP scores show why reforms need to continue and expand to other
mediocre systems in the state."

Read more in the New Orleans Times-Picayune
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