ANNUAL REPORT SHOWS STEADY, LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS IN NONPUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAMS

Accountability System Expands Successful Schools, Moves Swiftly on Struggling Schools

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Education today released a legislatively-required annual report detailing results for the state’s Nonpublic School Choice Programs: Louisiana Scholarship Program, Tuition Donation Rebate Program, and the School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities. This year’s report shows continuous growth in participation in Louisiana’s Nonpublic School Choice Programs, increasing from 2,005 in 2011 to 8,228 in 2015, representing a growth of more than 300 percent. Additionally, the report notes that the percentage of students in grades 3-8 receiving nonpublic school Scholarships and achieving “mastery” on state assessments increased 4 percentage points, compared to a 3 percentage point increase for all students statewide. Likewise, the percentage of Scholarship students achieving at least “basic” increased 3 percentage points, compared to a 4 percentage point dip statewide.

Scholarship School Performance

Recent academic studies have highlighted both the challenges of launching the Scholarship program in its initial year and the promise of steady improvement in the program over time. Over the last five years, the achievement gap between the Louisiana Scholarship Program and the statewide average has been cut nearly in half, from 32 percentage points in 2011 to 18 percentage points in 2015.
​

This steady improvement is largely due to a state accountability system that uses state assessments to establish performance targets and to act quickly when schools struggle. Persistently successful schools expand while persistently struggling schools do not accept new students. The number of participating Scholarship schools receiving a Scholarship Cohort Index that meets program expectations increased by 22.7 percentage points from 42.9 percent, or 12 of 28 schools, in 2014 to 65.6 percent, or 21 of 32 schools, in 2015. The result is a greater likelihood that students will enroll in strong schools.

Participation in Nonpublic School Choice Programs

Enrollment in the Louisiana Scholarship Program increased more than 5,000 students since statewide expansion in the 2012-2013 school year, representing a 290 percent increase over four years. The Tuition Donation Rebate program, launched in 2013-2014, increased more than 1,100 percent in 2015-2016. The School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities, offered in parishes with a population of 190,000 or more, increased nearly 88 percent over four years.

 

Program Summaries

Louisiana’s private school choice programs vary in terms of admissions criteria, per student funding, and accountability regulations.

The Louisiana Scholarship Program, expanded statewide during the 2012 Legislative Session, is open to eligible students from low-income families entering kindergarten or attending a Louisiana public school with a C, D, or F letter grade. Scholarships are funded through a legislative appropriation in the state general fund to cover the full cost of the scholarship and mandatory fees, averaging $5,500 per student, for students awarded through an open-enrollment lottery process. Students participating in the Louisiana Scholarship Program are required to take all state assessments and schools are held accountable through one of the most rigorous nonpublic school choice accountability systems in the nation.

The Tuition Donation Rebate Program, created through Act 25 of 2012, is open to eligible students from low-income families entering kindergarten or attending any Louisiana public school. Scholarship awards are privately funded and awarded through School Tuition Organizations - tax-exempt, not-for-profit organizations. These School Tuition Organizations collect private taxpayer donations to fund and award partial student scholarships on a on a first-come, first-served basis. Scholarship awards range between $4,000-$4,500 per student, depending on the grade level. Participating schools may retain their standard admissions process when determining whether to admit a student. Students participating in the Tuition Donation Rebate Program are required to only take the state assessments in English language arts and math. School Tuition Organizations may use academic outcomes in determining with which schools to partner.

Created in 2010 as a pilot program, the School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities was expanded in 2012 from grades K-8 to K-12 for students with special needs, as identified by their local district or the nonpublic school. Students wishing to attend a nonpublic school in parishes with a population of 190,000 or more are eligible for this program, which includes Caddo, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Lafayette, Orleans, and St. Tammany parishes. The program is funded through a legislative appropriation in the state general fund and provides partial tuition assistance to families. Tuition assistance averages $2,500 per student.

For more information on the Louisiana Scholarship Program, please click here.

For more information on the Tuition Donation Rebate Program, please click here.

For more information on the School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities, please click here.

To read the 2014-2015 Louisiana Nonpublic School Choice Programs Annual Report, please click here.

# # # # # #