LOUISIANA BELIEVED IN A GRADUAL SENSIBLE TRANSITION TO

“LOUISIANA BELIEVED” IN A GRADUAL, SENSIBLE TRANSITION TO THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS The Evolution of the Louisiana Department of Educations’ Attempt to Implement a Statewide Transitional Plan to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

February 17, 2011 BESE Meeting - ESEA Reauthorization Report from State Superintendent The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is up for reauthorization. Adopted in 2001, No Child Left Behind organized the country around holding states accountable for the education of every child.

Originally “Louisiana Believed” in a DUAL TRANSITION 1. TRANSITION TO PARCC Development Year – 2011 -2012 Transition year #1 – 2012 -2013 Transition year #2 - 2013 -2014 Full Implementation of – 2014 -2015 2. TRANSITION TO COMMON CORE CURRICULUM (CCSS) Development Year – 2011 -2012 Transition year #1 – 2012 -2013 Transition year #2 - 2013 -2014 Full Implementation of – 2014 -2015

May 2011 – September 2011 Webinars - Presented by LDOE • “. . . Louisiana’s State Implementation Team developed an implementation plan to prepare students and teachers to transition to the more rigorous and more focused new standards and assessments. ” (ESEA waiver – 2/2/2011 – pg. 26 -27 ) • “. . . LDOE made regional presentations to District CCSS/PARCC Specialists. . . especially for educators, focusing on the crosswalk and the Grade-Level Content Comparison documents. ” (ESEA waiver – 2/2/2011 – pg. 26 -27 )

May 2011 – September 2011 Webinars - Presented by LDOE IMPLEMENTATION OVERVIEW 2011 – 2012: Development Year 2 nd grade and higher in ELA and mathematics by revising already existing activities in the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. . . rollout of both the Transitional and the new Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. ” 2012 -2013: Transition Year #1 Both webinars discuss utilizing a phased in approach to ensure maximum preparation and continuity. . . ” . . . the new Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum aligned to ELA and Mathematics CCSS in grades K-1 and the Transitional Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum in ELA and Mathematics will be implemented in 2 nd grade and higher. ” 2013 -2014: Transition Year #2 “The new Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum aligned to ELA and Mathematics CCSS in grades PK to 2 will be implemented. The Transitional Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum will continue in grades 3 -12, with additional Common Core aligned content incorporated. ” 2014 -2015: Full Implementation New Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum for all grades and subjects will be administered

From May 2011 until February 2012 “Louisiana Believed” in a DUAL TRANSITION 1. TRANSITION TO PARCC Development Year – 2011 -2012 Transition year #1 – 2012 -2013 Transition year #2 - 2013 -2014 Full Implementation of – 2014 -2015 2. TRANSITION TO COMMON CORE CURRICULUM (CCSS) Development Year – 2011 -2012 Transition year #1 – 2012 -2013 Transition year #2 - 2013 -2014 Full Implementation of – 2014 -2015

February 28, 2012 ESEA Flexibility Request – (Original Submission) The flexibility request contained two key components: 1. “A new state-developed curriculum aligned with CCSS, meaning that no districts will have to undertake this work themselves. ” (ESEA Waiver – 2/28/12 – pg. 94 -95) 2. “Crosswalks and content comparison documents clearly outlining the changes from current grade-level expectations to CCSS” to be utilized in the 2012 -2013 and the 2013 -2014 school years. ” (ESEA Waiver – 2/28/12 – pg. 94 -95)

March 9, 2012 BESE – Official Board Minutes BESE members receive a report from Superintendent of Education on several topics including: • COMPASS/CCSS • “. . . Implementation of CCSS in grades K and 1 begins. . . ” ” (BESE Official Board minutes 3/9/12 – pg. 2) • Transitional curriculum for most grades over the next two years for smoother transition to CCSS. (BESE Official Board minutes 3/9/12 – pg. 2) • ESEA WAIVER • “. . . the LDE submitted an application for flexibility waivers from federal NCLB regulations. . . ” (BESE Official Board minutes 3/9/12 – pg. 2)

MARCH 29, 2012 USDOE – ESEA Flexibility - Peer Panel Notes “This document provides guidance for peer review panels as they evaluate each request during the on-site peer review portion of the review process. ” (ESEA Flexibility Peer Panel Notes – 3/29/12 – pg. 1) “The timeline outlined in the flexibility request and addendum shows a transition period for grades 3 -12 that raises concerns about full implementation within the timeline. . . ” ” (ESEA Flexibility Peer Panel Notes – 3/29/12 – pg. 1)

April 17, 2012 IMPLEMENTATION LETTER “The enclosed list provides details regarding these concerns, as well as other key issues raised in the review, that we believe must be addressed before the Secretary can approve your request for ESEA flexibility. ” • A timeline for implementing college- career-ready standards that does not meet the requirement for full implementation of the standards by the 2013 -2014 school year;

“Louisiana might not Believe” in a DUAL TRANSITION 1. TRANSITION TO PARCC Development Year – 2011 -2012 Transition year #1 – 2012 -2013 Transition year #2 - 2013 -2014 - TRANSITION? Full Implementation of – 2014 -2015 2. TRANSITION TO COMMON CORE CURRICULUM (CCSS) Development Year – 2011 -2012 Transition year #1 – 2012 -2013 Transition year #2 - 2013 -2014 – TRANSITION? Full Implementation of – 2014 -2015

May 1, 2012 LDOE Bi-Weekly Newsletter Within the Superintendent’s Message, John White states: “Moreover, once we fully transition from the current Louisiana GLE’s to the Common Core State Standards – to be complete in 2014 -2015 – the state will no longer produce a Louisiana-specific comprehensive curriculum. ”

May 29, 2012 Approved ESEA Flexibility Request “The plan utilizes a phased in approach to ensure maximum preparation and continuity as educators also begin to undergo more rigorous evaluations. ” (2011 -2012 – TRANSITONAL YEAR) . . . One year of preparation while current GLEs are in place. (2012 -2013 – TRANSITIONAL YEAR) . . . implementation of transitional curriculum and assessments, which use both the current GLEs and the CCSS. (2013 -2014 – FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF CCSS) . . . with the professional development and curriculum resources provided, districts should be able to fully implement the CCSS as early as possible.

MAY 29, 2012 Approved ESEA Waiver – Transitional Timeline Changed Revisions to ESEA - 4/29/13 Original ESEA – 2/28/12 Transition Plan within the ESEA WAIVER was changed considerably from ESEA - 2/28/12 to the updated ESEA WAIVER - 5/29/12 accepted by the USDOE The 2013 -2014 school year is not a transitional year. FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF CCSS IS REQUIRED.

“Louisiana now Believes” in a SINGLE TRANSITION TO ALL ASSESSMENTS ALIGN TO PARCC Development Year – 2011 -2012 Transition year #1 – 2012 -2013 Transition year #2 ALL ASSESSMENTS ALIGNED - 2013 -2014 Full Implementation of PARCC – 2014 -2015 TRANSITION TO COMMON CORE CURRICULUM (CCSS) FULLY IMPLEMENTED Development Year – 2011 -2012 Transition year #1 – 2012 -2013 Transition year #2 Full Implementation - 2013 -2014 Full Implementation of – 2014 -2015

June 19, 2012 BESE Meeting – ESEA Notice of Intent – “On a motion of Ms. Bradford, seconded by Mr. Garvey, the Board approved, as a Notice of Intent, revisions to the following Sections of Bulletin 111, The Louisiana School, District, and State Accountability System, as a result of the ESEA Flexibility Request that was approved for implementation by the United States Department of Education, as amended and presented by the LDE:

June 19, 2012 BESE Meeting REVISIONS TO BULLETIN 111 – 68 policy changes to Bulletin 111 in one motion. . .

August 7 & 21, 2012 LDOE Weekly Newsletters A document containing a fundamental shift in the way we plan and teach our children is buried within a LDOE Weekly Newsletter hyperlink. This memorandum. . .

August 7 & 21, 2012 Hyperlink - Academic Strategy Memorandum “. . . Louisiana is replacing the academic mandates of the comprehensive curriculum and textbook adoption process with academic tools such as rubrics, assessments and video modules. . . ”(Academic Strategy Memorandum – 8/7&21/12 – page 1)

August 7 & 21, 2012 Academic Strategy Memorandum “Required comprehensive curriculum is replaced with optional “transitional comprehensive curriculum” that aligns to some elements of the Common Core State Standards. The state also publishes assessment items aligned to Common Core in Eagle. Teachers and principals work together to determine how best to incorporate these into their work with students. ”

August 7 & 21, 2012 Academic Strategy Memorandum “Comprehensive curriculum is eliminated altogether and school districts have the freedom to choose any content or text. To support decisionmaking at the district level, the state recommends content aligned to Common Core and continues to publish sample assessments and tasks that are aligned to Common Core in EAGLE. ”

December 4, 2012 LDOE Weekly Newsletter Within the Superintendent’s Message is the following quote, “A quick look at Bulletin 741 here reveals just how many such regulations exist in our state. . . the department has proposed significant changes to this bulletin here. ”

January 8, 2013 Superintendent Advisory Council - SAC NO MENTION OF FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF CCSS IN 2013 -2014

January 14, 2013 Conference call with State Superintendent NO MENTION OF FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF CCSS IN 2013 -2014

January 29, 2013 How easy is it to find out that there is no transitional curriculum?

February 5, 2013 State Superintendent Conference Call/webinar Superintendent White: “We are keeping with that transition schedule for next year, and at the same time I think it is fair to say that, frankly that the guidance that the teachers have been given, from a curriculum perspective, and from a assessment perspective, has not always kept faithful to that transition plan. ” “The goal of the transition plan was that to. . . was that next year we would be teaching standards that are only representative of the Common Core that was planned and published in 2011, and that is the plan going forward. ” “What I am suggesting is that feedback from the teachers is that the further that we get into a transitional phase, the more important it is that we be very clear on aligning the assessment guide with the curriculum guidance. . . ”

February 19, 2013 LDOE Weekly Newsletter “As we continue our transition to the Common Core State Standards, the LDOE will be providing resources to support teachers as they begin planning for the 2013 -2014 school year. ”

February 20, 2013 Superintendent Collaboration – Network 3 In discussions concerning CCSS content the following exchange occurred: Jerome Puyau (Superintendent of Vermilion Parish Schools): “Will there be a transitional curriculum next year? ” Michael Rounds (Deputy State Superintendent): “There is not a transitional curriculum. ” Jerome Puyau: “So what does that mean? ” Michael Rounds: “It primarily, um, means that we are going to provide for you, we will show you, a tool box that is, that the curriculum is going to be Common Core aligned, and what is tested will also be aligned to the Common Core. . . that doesn’t mean we will implement all of Common Core next year because we are not prepared to do that, and the state nor the country is prepared to do that. ”