Big Results in Big Easy Schools
Last year Education Secretary Arne Duncan called Hurricane Katrina “the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans.”
Though his choice of words drew criticism, Duncan was referring to the Big Easy’s remarkable transformation from one of the lowest performing school districts in the country to a national laboratory of reform.
In 2006 a mere 23 percent of New Orleans children scored at or above basic on state tests, and 62 percent attended failing schools. Today proficiency rates hit 48 percent, and less than 20 percent of children attend failing schools.
Though the Recovery School District still has a long way to go, its unique reform model has already found imitators in states like Michigan and Tennessee.
Here’s what New Orleans’ metamorphosis can teach the rest of the country:
1. THE POWER OF AUTONOMY: By 2013, New Orleans will have the first charter-only school system. Four out of five kids already attend one of the district’s 73 charter schools, which enjoy levels of autonomy traditional public schools lack.
With the ability to hire and fire staff, set their own hours, and design their own curriculum, principals like Mary Laurie of O. Perry Walker High were able to implement radical change.
She separated girls and boys in class for the first two years, and pushed for arts, dance, and music programs. Advanced Placement courses were re-introduced, as was a student newspaper. Kids started wearing IDs and uniforms, school hours were extended, and the halls were freshly painted. A recent state report card gave the once-failing school a C+.
2. ACCOUNTABILITY IN PRACTICE: Superintendent John White knew that the flip side of granting schools greater autonomy was a heightened need for accountability. He admitted to The Wall Street Journal that many new charters were struggling, but holding them responsible was “a much more rigorous and cleaner process.”
While it can take years for traditional districts to close failing schools, White reviews charter licenses annually and revokes them as needed.
3. MONEY TALKS: Many of the innovative changes New Orleans schools made didn’t come cheap. Following Katrina, the district received an influx of federal funding, as well as a slew of private donations from generous philanthropists.
Those extra dollars gave schools the ability to extend their hours, invest in technology, implement new programs, and attract teachers with the promise of higher salaries. While money alone couldn’t turn around failing schools, it was an essential ingredient to New Orleans’ transformation.
4. THE TRUTH ABOUT POVERTY: Though gains made by schools like Walker High are impressive, at least half of all New Orleans students still struggle to meet proficiency levels. As White noted, “I wouldn’t say they are…close to where they need to be and want to be.”
According to education experts, the impact of poverty on student achievement should not be underestimated. Kids who attend high-poverty schools like those in New Orleans face obstacles that teachers alone can’t be expected to overcome.
Responding to the needs of students by investing in reform interventions that extend beyond the classroom will help the district bridge its persistent achievement gap. Once that ultimate goal is reached, New Orleans will cement its status as a model for other cities nationwide to emulate.
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