The St. Bernard Parish Public School District was one of only 5 districts state-wide to receive a competitive grant aimed at giving selected districts the opportunity to pilot a new state-wide curriculum and a new program for evaluating teachers. The three-year program nets the district $180,000, 90% of which will be used for engaging teachers in professional development meetings.
Louisiana will join with over 45 other states across the nation in 2014-15 as it adopts the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for learning. These standards will designate a broad, national set of academic skills that students in each state will be expected to learn and then be tested on using common tests across the states. The new standards are for language arts and math classes only but at each grade level.
“The state has opted to participate in developing and using the national curriculum and tests so that all students, across the nation, will be learning the same, rigorous academic skills and then comparisons of achievement can be made more easily,” said Doris Voitier, Superintendent of Schools. The Common Core State Standards were an outgrowth of the National Governors’ Association study on Education.
At first glance, CCSS seems to be more challenging than the current Louisiana state curriculum, with many academic skills being introduced to students one or two grade levels earlier than is now the case. Additionally, the new assessments that students will take will cover every grade level, including 2nd grade which now is not tested, and the assessments will be more challenging as well.
The Louisiana Legislature also passed, in 2010, a bill requiring 50% of teacher evaluations to be based on their students’ academic performance. That law goes into effect next school year. “Act 54 will ensure that student learning is taking place in every classroom across the state. Early indications are that our teachers will fare quite well with the new evaluation instrument, and we are comfortable with the fact that our teachers are knowledgeable, well-trained, and ready for implementation,” Voitier said.
The new grant gives the school district the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the new curriculum prior to its release to other districts, and St. Bernard’s teachers also will pilot the new evaluation instrument before it goes into effect next year.
“We believe that having the opportunity to pilot these programs and then give input into their final form is a plus for our teachers and our school district. When change comes, and it always will, it is easier to accept if you are part of the planning process for that change, and participating in the pilot gives us that opportunity and keeps our school district in the forefront of meeting the new challenges being given to public education,” Voitier said.
| 
