by Danielle Dreilinger
The Times-Picayune
April 11, 2013
Louisiana parents have more power in their children’s education than parents in nearly every other state, according to a new report card from the pro-charter Center for Education Reform. The state moved from sixth to third in the group’s “parent power index,” scoring 80.5 percent, or 2.55 on a four-point scale. Indiana and Florida topped the list.
The score prioritized access to charter schools and taxpayer-funded vouchers for private and parochial schools. Louisiana scored 2.3 on charters and 3.0 on vouchers. According to state data, six percent of public school students attend charters, though the rate is far higher in New Orleans.
“States where parents have options to choose tend to yield higher growth rates in student achievement,” the study’s authors said in a statement. “(In) states where systems and policies in place limit choice, parental engagement is hindered.”
The center gave Louisiana extra points for its parent trigger law that lets parents vote to put perennially failing schools into the state Recovery School District, and for making information about schools easily available to the public.
The state received a 1.7 on teacher quality — which in this case measures whether states use student performance data to hold teachers accountable — and a 2.3 for its online learning options.
Following Gov. Bobby Jindal’s controversial 2012 education reform package, Louisiana has received a number of high marks from national groups that are pro-charter and often pro-voucher.
In January, Louisiana was ranked first in the nation by StudentsFirst, led by former D.C. school chancellor Michelle Rhee. That score emphasized the state’s new teacher evaluation system that takes half a teacher’s grade from student performance on standardized tests and eliminates tenure as a factor in layoffs.
That same month, Louisiana placed sixth in the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ annual rating of charter laws.
Critics say these report cards don’t measure how well programs are implemented, or how well students score on national measures like the ACT. In 2011, the most recent data available, the National Assessment of Educational Progress put Louisiana near the bottom for fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading.
The national charter alliance has listened: Next year, its ratings will factor in graduation, dropout and attendance rates, and academic performance.
Moreover, teachers unions and school boards are currently challenging the constitutionality of two of Jindal’s three 2012 education reform laws, including the teacher evaluation and voucher programs. The governor has said he’s willing to hold a special legislative session if the state Supreme Court strikes down either law.