News Brief
John White Outlines Plans for Louisiana's Pre-K Programs
New Orleans Times-Picayune (10/30/12) Vanacore, AndrewOn Oct. 30, Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White outlined a new accountability system for the state's publicly funded pre-K programs that will be rolled out over the next three years to ensure that tax dollars are used by the programs. ACT 3 would ensure that existing dollars go further in helping prepare students for kindergarten, bringing all programs into one network, creating a system to assess their quality, and providing information to parents. While the legislation would not fund pre-kindergarten, White said it would create an accountability system similar to the letter grading system for public schools based on classroom observations and an assessment of what kids have learned. Pre-K programs would be offered professional development and coaching for teachers, and if they cannot improve their grades, they would lose public funding and possibly tax credits. The letter grades would enable parents to assess programs and apply for a seat through one state-administered application instead of applying to each program separately. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will vote on the broad framework, and a pilot program will take effect in the 2013-14 academic year before full implementation during the 2015-2016 academic year.
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