The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) has thrown its support behind the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) newly unveiled accountability framework, marking a significant step towards improving the state’s educational standards.
LABI, along with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) officers, endorsed the comprehensive accountability framework presented by Superintendent Cade Brumley at BESE’s accountability council meeting. This framework aims to provide much-needed clarity to parents, students, teachers, and schools, replacing the previous decade’s complex and ambiguous standards for evaluating educational quality.
LABI President and CEO Will Green emphasized the significance of the new accountability formula, stating, “For far too long, Louisiana’s current K-12 accountability approach has been complex and ambiguous. Louisiana businesses aren’t the only ones suffering—everyone feels the effects of a poor accountability system. The formula proposed today by Superintendent Brumley is simple, easy to understand, and, most importantly, brings a crucial focus on work-based learning.”
The new evaluation system features a straightforward 100-point grading scale that equally measures eleven foundational elements. It prioritizes student growth, proficiency, and college or career readiness, with a special emphasis on the growth of the lowest-achieving students. Additionally, the framework evaluates proficiency in math and English, student graduation rates, and readiness for post-secondary education or the workforce.
“LABI member companies rely on a skilled, qualified workforce to grow their businesses, which supports our state’s economy,” added Green. “Better preparing our state’s students to be well-equipped workers following graduation begins with accountability.”
Arthur Dupre, Chairman of LABI’s Education Council, highlighted the critical timing of the new standards, stating, “These much-improved standards, focused on growth and workforce preparedness, come at a critical time for Louisiana families and businesses. Across the board, from Kindergarten through graduation, we must make sure our students are reaching benchmarks that we can evaluate in a clear and approachable standard.”
While Louisiana has made progress in recent years, it remains in the bottom 10 states for education. The adoption of this new framework represents a concerted effort to evaluate performance fairly and objectively, aiming to propel the state’s educational standards and workforce readiness to new heights.
The new formula is set to be voted on during BESE’s June 11 meeting.
