Developers discuss new student standards

Ahead of the potential vote today (Feb. 2) at the Steering Committee Meeting in New Orleans, committee chairs held a media teleconference to explain the drafted standards.
“This has been a longtime coming,” said Dr. Regina Sanford, chairperson of the Standards Review Committee. “We stand behind our educators.
“Our hope is that the (standards) produced gives the committee confidence in our educators. My hope is that the committee does move forward on these standards.”
If approved by the committee today, the standards will be discussed and voted upon during the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s March meetings. First, on Thursday, March 3, BESE’s Academic Goals Committee will review the final draft of the student standards. The following day, at the full board meeting for BESE, it is slated to adopt a final draft of the Louisiana Student Standards, based on revisions from Academic Goals Committee members.
Sanford, along with the sub-committee chairs, reiterated two over arching themes for the changes proposed – empowering teachers to make decisions that best fit the students in his or her classroom and adding standards to fill gaps/removing standards that overlapped to make curriculums flow properly.
According to figures released by the state Standards Review Committee 100 percent of all standards – 854 in ELA and 433 in math – were reviewed in Louisiana’s previous math and ELA standards and those from various states around the country, including Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Massachusetts.
In both subject areas, the committee proposed changes in a total of 21 percent of the standards. Specifically, in ELA, 11 percent of kindergarten through second grade standards were changed and 20 percent were changed in third through 12th grade for a total of 18 percent overall in ELA. In math, 10 percent of standards in kindergarten through second grade and 28 percent in grades three through 12 for 26 percent overall in math.
These proposed changes run the gamut as well. Teachers are set to be allowed more freedom in determining the most appropriate method of instruction and choice of texts in the classroom as well as being provided more clarity about what is expected of students.
A sticking point for many, especially locally, has been the need for practicality in things like math. The committee is proposing several changes in the lower grades that could help that. Outside of the existing second grade standard, financial literacy and the study of money standards have been added to kindergarten, first and third grades. This, according to the committee, will improve cohesion with the second grade standard and helps ensure students are exposed to important financial literacy skills early in their education.
Other highlights included providing developmentally appropriate content for all ages or courses while maintaining high expectations and ordering high school skills taught in algebra I, geometry and algebra II to make sure students progress their education logically and succinctly.
The review process came to pass after the Common Core Standards were heavily scrutinized. BESE and state Department of Education officials then looked to review and create Louisiana’s own state standards that would continue to progress the call for higher expectations and accountability of schools, students and teachers alike.
Ahead of the teleconference, a summary of the review and standards’ development states that each committee member spent an average of 40 hours attending meetings and 50 hours independently reviewing public comments, preparing drafts of stands and researching and reviewing outside material. Furthermore, committee chairs were said to have spent an average of 150 hours reviewing materials, preparing for meetings and preparing standards and summaries for committees. On average, committee members together spent 9,000 hours developing the proposed new student standards for Louisiana.