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Lindsey Asks School Board to Keep Standards Set By High-Stakes Tests

Posted on: Wednesday, 26 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

By JAMES MINTON

ST. FRANCISVILLE - School Superintendent Lloyd Lindsey told the West Feliciana Parish School Board on Tuesday that he favors maintaining the high-stakes testing standards that the state had imposed before hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the state.

Following the storms, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to continue with the accountability testing program but to waive the requirements that fourth- and eighth-graders score at certain levels to advance to the next grades.

The waiver does not apply to high school students, who still must pass the graduate exit examination in order to receive a diploma.

Lindsey said he wants to revise the system's pupil promotion policy next month to maintain "as close to or the same standards as before," telling board members that students who are promoted without regard to their scores on the accountability tests will face high-stakes tests in a few years for which they may not be prepared.

He said he wants to have summer school for fourth- and eighth- graders who fail the tests and to give school-level accountability committees the authority to decide promotions on a case-by-case basis "to see what's best for the child."

Lindsey also said teachers and students need to know soon that accountability programs won't be weakened because of the hurricanes' disruptions.

In a storm-related move, the board approved a $3,000 per month contract with Sunshine Bus Sales Inc. of Donaldsonville for two new buses needed because of an increase in enrollment caused by evacuees moving into the parish.

Lindsey said two school employees took on the additional duties of driving the buses, but the system has been able to accommodate the influx without hiring additional teachers.

The post-Katrina enrollment went from a high of 459 evacuees to about 230 this week, he said.

The board will seek reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the two buses, as well as computers and other equipment.

The board also approved a $28,100 contract with Louisiana State Penitentiary for an inmate crew to do maintenance work at parish schools.

The Angola prison has supplied a work crew to the parish for about 10 years, but Lindsey said this is the first time corrections officials have asked the board to reimburse the prison for the cost of a security officer.

The inmates will work from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. unless they can be used in areas where they would not encounter students.

The board also recognized middle school math teacher Jennifer Bickham, the regional teacher of the year; high school custodian Leon Minor, for his days of service in maintaining a shelter for out- of-parish evacuees; and high school social studies teacher Ben Necaise, who returned to the school after serving 18 months on active National Guard duty that included a year in Iraq.

Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.

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