Looking back at impactful data-driven and analytical pieces from this past school year
At NSNO, we are proud to share clear data, thoughtful analysis, and up-to-date information about our district, our school community, and our work as an organization. We recently shared a recap of some of the great and inspiring stories from schools, educators, and students this year. This week, we provide a wrap-up of our more data-driven, analytical articles, as well as updates on NSNO’s latest programs and partnerships:
Analysis of our district’s structures, progress, and opportunities
NSNO works closely with schools, charter networks, and the district to support students and drive progress across our educational landscape. We also analyze that progress alongside other key issues affecting our schools, and share it with our community.
This school year, New Orleans welcomed our new superintendent of NOLA-PS, Dr. Avis Williams, the district’s first permanent female superintendent. We spoke with her about her vision for the district in this interview. This week, Dr. Williams marked a great first year and laid out the district’s plans for the next year in her State of NOLA Public Schools address.
We took a close look at two decades of academic progress in New Orleans. The hard work of our educators and students drives that progress; we discussed how our unique school system facilitates it.
When the state’s School Performance Scores (SPS) were released, we reviewed the data for our city: nearly 80% of NOLA-PS schools earned A or B in academic progress, and many groups of students outpaced the state average for “top growth” in English Language Arts and Math combined.
We provided an in-depth series on the Systemwide Needs Program (SWNP), which provides schools with funding for shared, district-wide needs. We provided an overview of how the SWNP works and serves students, how it supports teacher training and recruitment, and how it funds crucial educational initiatives.
Adjusting to a changing district
Our district’s enrollment, like many across the U.S., is shrinking. As the numbers emerged, we provided context, information, and analysis of the shift in our school enrollment and what it will mean for schools and our community.
- As in many cities nationally, New Orleans’ population has decreased, and our school enrollment is therefore dropping. We covered what this means for schools in a thorough Enrollment Landscape Analysis, as well as a series of articles. We took a close look at the demographic trends driving enrolment shifts, the collaboration and innovation the shifts will require for our district, some difficult but important proactive steps taken by schools and networks, and the continued response of schools and the district.
Proud of our programs and partnerships
Through collaboration, innovation, and a deep knowledge of the system, NSNO is proud to host meaningful events, offer impactful training, and provide critical supports to schools and partners across our district. Over the course of the year, we shared updates on some of these programs, partnerships, and supports.
We celebrated the expansion of the E3 program, which helps prepare educators to be strong charter school and network executive leaders. After launching at NSNO in 2020 to great success, E3 is now run outside of NSNO as the national organization, Greenhouse E3.
We announced the immense generosity of The Allstate Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff Foundation, who committed $1 million to support the newly renamed Allstate Sugar Bowl New Orleans Teacher community.
We spoke with Nan Sterling, our Chief of Schools, and April Carter, NSNO’s Schools Team coordinator, about their plans for the very-first NOLA STEM Summit, hosted in collaboration with GNO Rocs. The event was a huge success!
We were proud to share that The New Orleans Teacher Job Board (NOTJB), through which educators can apply to any role across New Orleans Public Schools, has led to nearly 650 hires since its launch. The NOTJB, which is a project of the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Orleans Teacher Community, is the fastest, easiest way for educators to share their resumes with schools, and for schools to find great teachers.
As part of the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Orleans Teacher Community’s commitment to provide educators with useful information and resources, we offered webinars on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program earlier this year. We know that many educators hold student loan debt, and a PSLF waiver earlier this year expanded eligibility for forgiveness. Ryan Frelich, a certified financial planner and former teacher, helped host and provided answers to educators’ questions. With this support, teachers have reported $1.2 million in forgiveness and counting.
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We’re so grateful for the opportunity to have an up-close, nuanced understanding of our schools and our system. That understanding gives us clarity and enormous hope that we are on the right track. There is so much our students and educators still need to thrive, and we’ll keep working, alongside the district and our many partners, to help provide it. We’ll keep meeting the moment–providing what our community needs in terms of information, opportunities, and resources so that New Orleans’ children can have the education they deserve. We’ll also keep sharing the stories about our shared efforts.
If there are issues, you’d like to see covered, people or initiatives you think we should profile, or ideas you think we should discuss as we prepare for the school year ahead, please be in touch! We’d love to hear from you.