LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NAMES WEST FELICIANA PARISH SCHOOLS “MODELS OF EXCELLENCE” RECIPIENT

(BATON ROUGE, LA) - The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) awarded its Models of Excellence to West Feliciana Parish Schools for its strategic use of high-dosage tutoring providing students with extra academic support. State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley presented the honor to West Feliciana Parish Schools Superintendent Hollis Milton during a ceremony today at Bains Elementary.

West Feliciana Parish Schools has more than doubled the number of students benefiting from its implementation of the state's Accelerate: High-Dosage Tutoring program. This tutoring initiative aims to address gaps in students' learning and prepare them for grade-level content in math and literacy.

"West Feliciana has set a standard for how high-dosage tutoring can drive student outcomes in Louisiana," said Dr. Brumley. "We're committed to ensuring this academic support is available to help students across the state thrive. We are taking tutoring to scale - a bold and unprecedented effort"

Some of the highlights of West Feliciana Parish Schools high-dosage tutoring plan include:

• Utilizing teachers and professional tutoring providers to offer a range of school day opportunities
• Training all staff to provide academic support
• Repurposing dedicated time during the school day to provide high-dosage tutoring
• Incorporating in-person and virtual tutoring for students
• Regularly progress monitoring towards targeted goals in order to make strategic adjustments
• Engaging parents in regular communication about their child's progress

"West Feliciana Parish Schools values supporting students through strong intervention programs," said Milton. "The high dosage tutoring initiative was an amazing opportunity for our schools to refocus our vision on prescriptive, quality instruction, and created the environment to support more kids than we have ever before. This state's initiative has made us better for students and we are grateful for the recognition by the Louisiana Department of Education."

The Louisiana Legislature invested $30 million for school systems to provide tutoring during the school day through Accelerate: High-Dosage Tutoring. Louisiana school systems were required to submit an implementation plan in September to receive funding for their schools. Act 771 of the 2024 Louisiana Legislative Session requires that high-dosage tutoring takes place during the school day, providing students with the support they need without requiring additional time outside of regular school hours.

Louisiana has been a national leader with its push to provide students and families access to high quality tutoring. Louisiana's statewide tutoring focus includes opportunities for students to receive this additional academic support during the school day and outside of the school day. Louisiana was one of the first states to enhance high-dosage tutoring statewide to help close pandemic learning gaps.

Eligible students have access to Accelerate: High-Dosage Tutoring during the school day. Outside of the school day, eligible students have access to $1500 digital vouchers through the Steve Carter Tutoring Program. The LDOE recently began a waitlist for the program due to high demand. Over 122,000 tutoring sessions have been provided to students through the Steve Carter program since its launch at the close of 2022.

Louisiana Models of Excellence (MOE) was created to acknowledge schools serving as exemplary models for implementing Louisiana's education priorities and key initiatives. This program celebrates excellence in Louisiana schools, shares stories of success and provides models for others to see, and creates high-impact partnerships among school systems across the state. West Feliciana Parish Schools is being awarded the MOE based on Louisiana's emphasis on improving student outcomes through high-dosage tutoring.

West Feliciana Parish Schools is the eighth recipient of this statewide honor. Past winners include Phillis Wheatley Community (Firstline Schools), East Feliciana Public Schools, Rapides Parish Schools, Mansfield Elementary (DeSoto Parish Schools), Lafourche Parish Schools, Calcasieu Parish School Board, and Central Community School System.

School systems may submit nominations for the Louisiana Models of Excellence through an online portal. To learn more about submitting nominations, please visit the LDOE website.