LOUISIANA SETS HIGHER EXPECTATIONS, INCREASES VALUE OF CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS WITH REVISED ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM

PRESS RELEASE

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Jun 12, 2024

Louisiana Department of Education’s Grow.Achieve.Thrive. plan approved by BESE, takes effect for 2025-26 school year

(BATON ROUGE, LA) - Louisiana is raising the bar for academic success, enhancing the value of career education, and making it easier for the public to understand how schools are performing. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) received approval from the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) today on revisions to the state’s K-12 accountability system, which is used to grade the performance of public schools and school systems.

Grow.Achieve.Thrive. is based on three fundamental drivers.

Simple and Transparent: Utilizes a new 100-point grading scale
High Expectations: Raises the bar for student outcomes
Career and College Readiness: Emphasizes career education, college preparation, or military service readiness

“Today marks the culmination of three years of work to elevate educational expectations for Louisiana,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “This revised system will drive performance to new levels and provide the public with a transparent understanding of school quality.”

The plan’s name comes from its three core student expectations. Louisiana expects all students to grow academically year-over year, achieve proficiency on key content, and thrive beyond high school.

Grow: Schools will be measured by the number of students growing in math and English, with special attention paid to growing the lowest achieving students and supporting English learners as they learn the English language.

Achieve: Schools will be measured by the number of students who are proficient in math, English, science, and social studies.

Thrive: High schools will be measured on the number of students graduating on time, showing readiness on a nationally recognized exam, and prepared to accelerate by earning college credit or high value career credentials with work experience.

“K-12 education in Louisiana is on a positive trajectory, and this improved and simplified standard for measuring school performance will support that momentum going forward,” said BESE President Ronnie Morris. “With high value placed on core skills development, academic growth and work-based learning opportunities, the accountability revisions adopted today strengthen Louisiana’s foundation for learning and will open the door to meaningful opportunities for more students.”

Schools and systems will be graded using Louisiana’s Accountability Scorecard, which includes elements foundational to student success. Each of the scorecard’s foundational elements will be evenly averaged to determine a score for schools and systems.

The plan will go into effect for the 2025-26 school year. However, simulated scores will be provided for 2023-24 and 2024-25.

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Summer EBT SUN Bucks Coming to Louisiana

06 Jun, 2024

Summer is almost here and that means longer days, fun in the sun, and best of all for kids, no homework! For some Louisiana students receiving free or reduced-price school lunches, summer also means the loss of nutritious school meals. In addition to the newly expanded summer feeding options, SUN Bucks help fill that gap by providing grocery benefits to help families put meals on the table when schools are closed. WHAT ARE SUN BUCKS? Starting in summer 2024, Louisiana SUN Bucks, also referred to as Summer EBT, will provide families with $120 for each eligible school-aged child (5 to 18 years old) to buy groceries during the summer break. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SUN BUCKS? Most eligible families will get SUN Bucks automatically, but some parents will need to apply. The following children are eligible to receive SUN Bucks summer benefits and will be automatically enrolled in the program. There is no need to apply. Children whose families received SNAP , Family Independence Temporary Assistance (FITAP), or Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) benefits during the 2023-24 school year. Children receiving Medicaid (with household income below 185% of the federal poverty level). Children who applied and were individually approved to receive free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). These children may be eligible to receive SUN Bucks but must apply to determine eligibility: Children experiencing homelessness. Migrant children. Children who receive free or reduced-price lunch, but did not complete an application. Even if your family doesn’t fall into one of the categories listed above, your child may still be eligible for SUN Bucks based on your family’s income. HOW ARE SUN BUCKS ISSUED? The SUN Bucks program will be rolled out in three phases beginning in late June 2024. Phase 1: Launching in June 2024! Children who received SNAP benefits during the 2023-2024 school year are eligible for streamlined certification and will be automatically enrolled. SUN Bucks benefits will be added to their existing SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card beginning in the second half of June 2024. Visit DCFS website for more information and updates on phase 2 and phase 3 roll outs.