FAILURE NO MORE !

Transforming A New Orleans Public School

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Lafayette Academy

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New Orleans Public Schools: New Orleans Schools Pre- Katrina:

• One of the worst school districts in country• Lowest performing in state

• Valedictorian of Fortier High School failed exit exam 6 times

• FBI opened office to investigate rampant corruption Recovery School District (RSD):

• Created in 2003: Academic Failure• 5 schools in RSD

November, 2005:• All but 16 schools placed in the RSD• City shuttered: empty buildings

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7 years later: System of Schools:…Not a School System

2 Governing Authorities• OPSB • BESE• Both can operate or

charter schools

85% Attend Charter schools

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Most Market Driven System… with a Fence

Schools Compete for

Students

Vendors Compete to

Serve Schools

Schools Compete for Employees

“At Will” Employer

System of SchoolsServes All Students•Enrollment•Expulsion

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Nonprofits Performing Central Office Functions:Support for Charters:

• Talent recruitment and Development (TFA, Teach NOLA, New Leaders, Leading Educators)• Special Education Support (SUNS Center)• Interim assessments: Achievement Network• Parent’s guide & support for Parent Choice: PONS + Urban League• Lobbying: Louisiana Public Charter School Association• Incubation & scaling of charter operators: New Schools for New Orleans

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RESULTS

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Same Demographic Profile of Student:

Pre Katrina 10/1/11

Number of Students 65,000 42,000

African American Students 93% 88%

Hispanic 0% 3%

Free and Reduced Lunch 77% 83%

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#1 in growth in LA since 2005District Performance Score: All students, All Tests, All Performance Levels

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Closing the GapPercent of Black Students Basic or Above (Proficiency Goal)All Grades, All Tests (E, M, S, SS)

* No 2006 data due to Katrina

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Career and College Ready

Entering Freshmen

On Time Graduates

TOPS Eligible

2005100 students

52 students with diploma

13 students (25% of grads)

2012100 students

76.5 students with diploma

30 students (39% of grads)

$ $ $ $

Exceeds nat’l avg. of white

students

130% increase

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Highlights of the New Orleans Experience

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Drivers of Success Quality Chartering:

• Rigorous Authorizing

• Performance Requirements

• Incubation and Support

The Market Driven System: Autonomy/Charters/Choice

• School picking teacher; Teacher picking school

Human Capital, Human Capital, Human Capital

• Need exceptional- not just average

• School Leaders- most important

• 1 in 3 school leaders TFA alumni

• Quality Teachers

• TFA and TNTP: one in 4 teachers

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Different Turnaround Strategies

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Challenges: The Community Voice

School Community

• Parents, Neighborhoods, Alumni

• Access: Neighborhood schools vs choice

• Who Operates Charter: Community Groups vs “Outsiders”

• Who Decides: What role/voice for the community

General Community

• Vocal Minority: Us vs Them

• Return of Schools to the Elected School Board

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Challenges, continued Long Term Governance:

• RSD not meant to be permanent

New Role of Governing Authority:

• Portfolio management: number and types of schools; Equity

Getting from C to A:

• Human Capital and energy

• Financial Sustainability

• Maintaining push for quality: political will to close “D” schools?

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Choice Foundation

BODY COPYChoice Foundation is a nonprofit corporation, founded by James M. Huger in 2004, to promote school choice issues in Louisiana.

Choice Foundations currently has three elementary schools:

• Lafayette Academy Charter• Esperanza Charter• McDonogh 42 Charter

Choice Foundation Quick Facts:

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Opening Day:

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Our Mission:To prepare students for success in a college

preparatory high school in an atmosphere that challenges and supports each student to achieve

his or her highest potential.

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Lafayette Academy: A Thumbnail Sketch

Public charter Largest elementary

•Grades Served: PK – 8

•Students served: 940

Fine arts, technology, Athletics

Turnaround with veteran New Orleans natives

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Lafayette Academy Charter School:

Charter was granted in 2006 to take over a failed New Orleans Public School.

The board is a local foundation. The board hired a for-profit management

firm to run the school for 2006-2007. That firm failed, and the board hired a new

Principal for 2007-2008.

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Lafayette Academy Charter Schoolis NOT

a selective enrollment/magnet charter school

a school that “creams” neighborhoods

a school that excludes special needs students

a school that requires a parental contract

a school that expels students for poor grades

a school modeled after any national CMO

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Lafayette Academy Charter SchoolIS a school that

provides as many services as we can to our families and students

follows RTI processes

provides FAPE

partners with our community

works with community groups in poor areas of town to get their schools re-opened

agnostic about the format of education reform

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Post-Katrina PTSD Jade takes a deep breath and says, “The water

started coming so fast, my dad managed to make a hole in the roof. My brother Jay went up first, my sister Monica went up next, then it was my turn to go up. I was scared, I took a long time to get up through the hole and finally got up, then my mom.

But when it was dad’s turn the water was so high and he went under and never came up. We had to sit there and watch my father die. After that, we sat in the superdome for three days until we flew to Texas. We met up with my aunt that lived there.

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Lafayette Academy Charter School

Extensive community partnerships.

Championship sports teams.

Championship Debate Team.

Asked by the state to take over more failing schools.

Only charter school in the state with an automatic charter renewal.

Special Programs and Accomplishments

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Lafayette Academy Charter SchoolDemographics

940 students, Grades PK-8.

Largest elementary school in New Orleans.

96% f/r lunch.

110 IEPs

96 504s.

85 homeless students

99% African American.

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Albert’s Mom Did Not Cook My mom does not cook. We were hungry so

we decided to walk to the corner store. But, when we walked out the door, our mom told us to come back in the house. We asked can we go to the store and mom said, “No.” So we watched TV. Around noontime we played a game. Then it was nighttime and we were very hungry. My mom got up and put on her clothes. We told her we were hungry. She brought us out to eat. It was a happy ending to a very hungry day.

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Lafayette Academy Charter SchoolJuly 1, 2007 There were few teaching materials. The building was filthy. There were 327 missing window panes. Many of the floor tiles were missing, and the

subflooring was rotten. Only 45% of the teachers returned. Everything screamed, “You are not important to

us!” to the students!

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Lafayette Academy Charter SchoolJuly 1, 2007 There was no payroll system, no benefits. We had to create a business office. There were no service vendors. We had to hire 45 people in three weeks. We had to prepare for a lawsuit with the old

management firm. We had very little time to think about school

design or instruction until December.

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The Problem We All Live With

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A Thumbnail Sketch: 87% of our students live in Hollygrove, Pension Town and Gert Town

Total Budget: $ 9 million

Payroll Budget: $ 6.3 million

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Our Foundation’s Values: Respect

•We respect ourselves.•We respect others.•We respect our teachers and our school.

Responsibility•We take responsibility for our education.•We take responsibility for our actions.•We take responsibility for our school.

Reach•We reach for excellence.•We reach beyond ourselves.•We reach to make the world a better place.

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Our Team:

Employees: 124

Teachers: 86 Admin and Support Staff: 15

Specials Teachers: 9

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Lafayette Academy

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Total Instructional AlignmentAll aspects of instruction are organized to assure students grasp state’s standards – and beyond.

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Total Instructional Alignment: Staffing 9:1 student-teacher ratio Assistant heads

•academics•school culture

Division Heads Co-teachers Instructional support

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Total Instructional Alignment: Classroom Common grade level planning

Problem-solving sessions

“Deep” lesson plans

Special interventions• reading • math

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Data-driven instructionCollect data from daily work, weekly tests,

standardized tests to drive instruction

Software

Data-Driven

Instruction

TeacherMadeTests

Incremental Assessments

Administrative Oversight

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Data Driven Instruction: Testing Student placement at beginning of year

Weekly teacher-made tests

Standardized tests• DIBELS• DRA• TargetTeach Fundamentals • TargetTeach Interim Assessments

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Data Driven Instruction: Assessments & Software

Formal interim assessments

Pacing calendars Teacher-made assessments

Software packages

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Data-Driven Instruction: Administrative Oversight Division head supervision

Routine classroom visits

Professional development built around student and teacher performance

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Extensive Student SupportA wide variety of in-house and community services

support our students and families.

Social Work

Program

Community

Partnerships

Special Educatio

n Program

Extra-Curricula

r Program

Extensive

Student Support

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Extensive Student Support: Social Work Initiatives

Healthcare

Mental health

Second Harvest Food Program

Others

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Extensive Student Support: Sped Programs Open admissions policy

One special education teacher for every grade level, minimum

One additional instructional support teacher for every grade level, minimum

Utilize inclusion model and resource room

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Extensive Student Support: Community Partnerships

Volunteer Programs• Junior League of GNO, Tulane University, Junior Achievement, Xavier University, As and Aces

Educational partners• Incarnate Word, Carrollton-Dunbar Headstart, Royal Castle Child Development Center

Others• Second Harvest, Louisiana Outdoor Opportunity Program, Trinity Christian Community, 2nd District Police, 100 Black Women

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Extensive Student Support: Extra-curricular activities

Sports Debate Team Band Choir Color Guard Dance Team Majorettes Cheerleaders

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How We Make the Money Work

BODY COPYFINANCE OPERATIONSAccounting Facility & Maint. ServicesBudget Management Food Service ManagementEnrollment Management Information TechnologyFinancial Analysis Insurance & Risk Mgmt.Grants Management Janitorial ServicesHuman Resources Safety & SecurityPayroll Processing Student Transportation

Business Office Structure

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Business Office Functions

Performs all functions of “central office” in a traditional public school system.

Interacts with all stakeholders daily including students, parents, employees, board members, vendors, federal/state officials and the public.

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2012-13 Budget Overview

Total Rev./Exp. – $9 Million Rev./Exp. per Student - $9,500 Major Revenue Source – State Funds

(81%) Major Expenses – Personnel (70%)

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The Model

9:1 Student/Teacher Ratio 2 Assistant Heads of School 5 Academic Division Heads Co-Teachers Instructional Support Staff

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Funding The Model

Leftover Fed./State Funds from prior charter holders ($1.3 Million in ‘07-’08)

Large Student Population = Increased State Funds ($7.3 Million in ‘12-’13)

Federal NCLB• Title Funds - 1, 2, 3 and 4 ($732K in ‘12-’13)• IDEA Funds - Part B and Pre-School ($201K

in ‘12-’13)

Federal PCSP - $600K over 3 years (‘07 – ’09)

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NCLB Budget Excerpt

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School Performance Scores

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Josephine Luke’s 8th Grade Class of 1952

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Helen Dufour’s 8th Grade Class of 1952