OPSB Unanimously Approves Superintendent’s Contract Renewal & Extension Recommendations

(New Orleans – December 4, 2023) — NOLA Public Schools' Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams recommended renewing contracts for 12 schools expiring in the 2023-2024 school year and extending contracts for four other schools. The recommendations were presented to the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) on Monday evening during the annual evaluation of contract renewals and extensions board meeting.

"These recommendations were not made lightly; they are integral to the prosperity of our scholars and the distinctive framework of our education system," said Dr. Williams. "Our schools have dedicated significant efforts to bolster student support, and the extension and renewal processes are imperative to guarantee that our schools not only meet but exceed high standards, delivering a top-tier education to all our scholars. This is what our community rightfully deserves."

The charter renewal and extension processes are a regular practice the District engages in every year to hold schools accountable; it's a critical aspect of how the District manages its community of schools. Under the all-charter school system, schools have the autonomy to set their own curriculum and academic priorities, overseen by the NOLA-PS district administration which prioritizes accountability and sets academic, financial, and operational metrics schools must meet. During the annual renewal period, the District reviews a charter's performance to see if it is fulfilling its obligations. Ultimately, the District's goal is to ensure schools provide the support necessary to help develop the whole child and help scholars find success after graduation and beyond.

This is a longstanding process that assures transparency and allows the District to hold schools to high standards using the Charter School Accountability Framework (CSAF), which helps assess whether schools have met, exceeded, or fallen short of agreed-upon standards.

Every school goes through a standardized charter renewal review when its contract enters its final year. School Performance Scores (SPS) are a key component to the usual charter renewal review process. The SPS Score is a letter grade system from A - F that summarizes how well a school is preparing all its scholars for the next level of study. The state issues these scores, which are determined from state testing, including LEAP tests, for each school. Ultimately, the SPS is used to measure how well schools are educating our scholars.

Twelve schools met the academic standards for regular renewal reviews and four additional schools received extensions to complete the fifth year of their initial contract terms. Five schools were eligible for a comprehensive evaluation, and one of them - Roberta Russa Moton Charter School - withdrew their intent to renew their charter.

The Comprehensive Evaluation includes:

• A written submission from the school
• Review of data, including SPS scores
• Public hearings (Oct. 17 & Nov. 16)
• Parent, Scholar, and Staff surveys

The Superintendent made recommendations for the five schools that underwent a comprehensive evaluation. OPSB voted unanimously to approve Dr. Williams' recommendations:

• L.B. Landry High School and Phyllis Wheatly: Three-year contingent renewal granted.
• Lafayette Academy: No extension; the school will remain open with a new operator to be determined for the 2024-2025 school year.
• Roberta Russa Moton Charter School: Withdrawn charter renewal intent; the school will remain open with a new operator to be determined for the 2024-2025 school year.
• Living School: Non-renewal; school to be closed at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

Students enrolled in Living School will receive closing school priority, giving scholars full priority access to available seats to any school within the NOLA-PS Common Application Process (NCAP) for which they are eligible. NCAP Main Round enrollment runs through Jan. 19, 2024. Please note, students enrolling in kindergarten or 9th grade for next year do not receive closing school priority. Additionally, all applicants must meet eligibility requirements for schools with additional application requirements, such as language proficiency or testing.

"In making these recommendations, our aim is to provide our scholars with a stable learning environment, fostering the path to a brighter future and aligning with our vision of offering every child a high-quality education. NOLA-PS remains committed to collaborative efforts with school and community leaders, ensuring ongoing enhancements that cultivate equity, excellence, and joy across our school District," said Dr. Williams.

Renewal Terms & Standards

Any Progress Index or letter grade referred to in the table below shall be the most recent Progress Index or letter grade issued by the state, pursuant to the state's accountability system.

Consistent with the philosophy of rewarding strong performance and providing incentives for schools to strive for continual improvement, the renewal terms for OPSB-authorized charter schools shall be linked to each school's performance on the OPSB renewal standards in accordance with the following table:

Definitions for table below

• School Performance Score (SPS): The school performance score summarizes how well a school is preparing all its students for the next level of study.
• School Performance Renewal Index (SPRI): For a school in its initial renewal, the school's SPRI is its most recent state issued SPS; for a school in subsequent renewals, the school's SPRI is a two-year SPS calculated using the school's SPS outcomes in the two most recent school years.

For more information on the renewal / extension process, please click here.  

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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 67 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, the first woman in the District's 181 years to serve as its permanent superintendent.

For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.