In the national expedition for ways to improve PK-12 public education, teacher hiring emerges as a considerable factor in academic achievement. The intersection of federal, state, and district policies, recruitment and hiring processes, decision-makers' criteria and preferences are some factors that impact teacher selection. More importantly,…

Just a few years ago, tenure appeared low on the reform list for state policy makers and district administrators, viewed as too hot an issue politically to challenge. But it was front and center in the 2014 landmark "Vergara v. California" lawsuit, which challenged teacher tenure and related policies. Yet whether to grant tenure or not…

This report offers state leaders key areas for action to continue progress in implementing evaluation systems, even as federal policies on teacher evaluation relax state requirements. The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) offers its current best thinking for how state agencies can make the smartest use of funds, time and partners to refine…

In this report the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution presents the results of a self-developed Education Choice and Competition Index (ECCI) along with an interactive application that grades large school districts according to the ECCI. The index is composed of 13 pro choice criteria. The authors present the ECCI as a…

What happens when local school leaders sit down to talk with teachers, parents, and other members of the community about the ends and means of local education? Can people bringing different perspectives and experiences to the issue agree on top goals for their communities? Can they settle on needed changes and decide what signifies genuine…

High quality school leadership has always mattered. It matters even more as States begin to implement new evaluation systems, standards and assessments. To ensure that every school leader comes prepared to improve schools and lead these reforms, States must cultivate strong principal preparation programs. This report outlines steps States can take…

In 2009 the Obama administration announced a focused commitment to turn around 5,000 of the United States' chronically lowest-performing public schools as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This commitment came with $3 billion in funding for the School Improvement Grant program, or SIG, along with new guidelines to ensure…

The handbook on pupil appraisal presents specific criteria and information regarding eligibility, screening, and evaluation of handicapped and gifted children in the state of Louisiana. Criteria for eligibility indicate the type of data which must be collected in the initial screening and/or educational assessment program to justify a more indepth…

The Board of Regents (BoR) and State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (SBESE) selected four external consultants to review and evaluate redesigned graduate programs for educational leaders and teachers. In addition, personnel from the Louisiana Department of Education reviewed all K-12 undergraduate teacher preparation programs and…

This bulletin serves as a guide for the conduct of pupil appraisal services in Louisiana. It includes procedures, standards, and criteria for identifying children eligible for special education and/or related services. In addition, a general description of pupil appraisal services encompasses personnel, responsibilities, rights of students and…

These criteria, developed by the Louisiana Right to Read Commission, provide a statement of standards for a quality reading program. It is against these criteria that a school can evaluate its current program. Of the 25 criteria, 5 are related to the pupil, 17 are directed to the professional staff, and 3 are concerned with the local community.…

In 1981 the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education established regulations of quality assurance for educational program evaluations conducted in the state through two major areas: the certification of educational program evaluators and the use of the Joint Committee's Standards for Evaluation, Projects and Materials in the…

The Board of Regents (BoR) and State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (SBESE) selected external consultants who possessed knowledge of current research and effective practices to review and evaluate redesigned programs for educational leaders and teachers. In addition, personnel from the Louisiana Department of Education reviewed all…

Many local and state education agencies in the United States now mandate annual assessments of student writing ability. To comply with these mandates, schools across the country have developed a variety of assessment procedures. To determine the "state of the art" of large-scale writing assessment in the country, a questionnaire was sent…

This report presents the results of an initial, iterative performance standards-setting (SS) task of a comprehensive on-the-job statewide teacher assessment system--the System for Teaching and Learning Assessment and Review (STAR). The 1990-91 STAR assesses and makes inferences about the quality of teaching and learning on sets of assessment…