State Web Site Helps Parents and Students

As the start of the school year quickly approaches, there are a few nuggets of wisdom I came across that I’d like to share with parents, information that could help their children have a successful school year.

The Louisiana Department of Education has made available a wonderful Web site accessible to parents and educators. This site on the Internet, http://www.louisianaschools.net, includes information that specifies mandated course content for English language arts, mathematics, social studies and science for grades four, eight, 10 and 11. By reviewing this information, parents will be able to closely monitor what their child is learning in school.

In addition, there are tutorial lessons on the Web site that can show parents how to tutor their children in specific areas. The lessons offer someone who might have a limited formal educational background a means to teach specific concepts through step-by-step, scripted lessons.

For the LEAP exam, sample tests for each level are available for download. Therefore, parents can gauge whether their child is ready for this important assessment several times throughout the school year by giving the test repetitively until mastery is achieved.

The state’s Web site lists content standards that tell what students should know and be able to do from one grade level to the next.

The content standards are used as the basis for local curricula and the state’s standards-based assessment program. Parents can find information related to content standards and other related information on the curriculum page of the Web site.

Mary Robvais, principal at Dufrocq Elementary School, applauds the Web site, calling it an extremely helpful tool for preparing students for academic success.

“It’s a wonderful site for parents and students in preparing for the high-stakes tests,” Robvais said. “It gives parents an idea of the formats of the tests, as well as an idea of what students need to know to be prepared for the tests.

“I believe that the more practice that the students have regarding the tests, the better prepared they’ll be when the tests are given,” she said.

Robvais said the teachers at her school often share the material on the site with parents.

“We’ve also encouraged our parents at our parent meetings to go to the site,” she said. “We let our parents know about the Web site early on so that they can have the whole year to practice (with their children).

“Some of our teachers pull the information off of the Web so that the (students) can use it as home study, especially for students who don’t have computers at home,” Robvais said.

The state administers several large-scale testing programs. The Iowa Tests are used for the statewide norm-referenced testing program at grades three, five, six, seven and nine.

Louisiana’s new criterion-referenced testing program for grades four and eight is known as LEAP for the 21st Century, or LEAP 21. The new Graduation Exit Examination for the 21st Century is administered at grades 10 and 11. English and math testing is done in the 10th grade; science and social studies tests are taken in the 11th grade.

Also, the “old” GEE continues to be administered to students who previously failed at least one part of that exam. The LEAP Alternative Assessment has been developed for students with disabilities who cannot participate in the regular state assessments.

The Web site also offers additional tips on what parents can do to help ensure their children’s academic success.

The tips include making sure the children are on time and attending school every day, seeing to it that the children are well- rested and well-nourished each day, and supporting teachers and the school in maintaining a well-disciplined environment for learning.

One of the most disheartening things is to see a student at any grade level struggle in school and fail exams. But thanks to tools such as this Web site, such problems can be fixed.

To all students: Get all the education you can, and can all that you get. It’s going to prepare you for life.

Donald Lee’s e-mail address is djlee@theadvocate.com