|
Louisiana
Department of Education |
|
Post Office Box
94064 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9064 | 1-877-453-2721 | Fax: (225)
342-0193 |
|
|
TUTORING HOTLINE TO
OFFER ASSISTANCE |
|
BATON ROUGE, LA - As
students across the state gear up to take standardized assessments, with the
first testing date set for March 23, the Louisiana Department of Education
(LDOE) is once again offering assistance to parents and students through its
Tutoring Hotline. Additionally, LDOE is reminding families, students and
teachers of all the resources available to them as they prepare for the state
exams. The Tutoring Hotline was launched
in 2008 and operates several weeks each year before and during student
testing. Over the last two years, the Hotline has fielded an estimated 200
calls per day. As in the past, tutors for the Hotline will be available to
assist students and parents each evening, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday
through Friday, starting this week and continuing through April 9. "We are very pleased
to be able to provide this service to our students and their families,"
State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. "We want our
students to be comfortable and confident when test time rolls around, and
practicing helps reassure them that they have the knowledge and skills to do
well." The statewide assessments
are based on Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs), which define the knowledge and
skills students should have obtained by the end of each grade in English
Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies. Fourth- and eighth-grade
students participate in the state's high stakes Louisiana Educational
Assessment Program (LEAP) test, which determines whether they are promoted to
the next grade level. Students in 10th and 11th grades must pass Louisiana's
Graduation Exit Examination (GEE) to earn a standard diploma. Students in
3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th grades participate in the Integrated Louisiana
Educational Assessment Program (iLEAP) test, which is designed to measure
student progress, but does not determine whether students will be retained in
their current grade. In order to move to the next
grade level, 4th and 8th grade students are required to score at least Basic in either ELA or
math and Approaching Basic
in the other subject. However, students who initially fail to meet the
standards for promotion during spring testing are given another opportunity
during the summer. The assistance offered
through the Tutoring Hotline is specifically centered on assisting 4th and
8th grade students and their families as they prepare to take LEAP. Tutors
assist students in answering questions from practice books that were
developed by LDOE and distributed to schools in February. Students and
families who need assistance answering the questions contained in the books
may use the Tutoring Hotline as a resource. The toll-free phone number for
the Hotline is 1-877-453-2721. Louisiana began
administering LEAP in 1999 and GEE in 2001. However, for the first
time, high-stakes tests (LEAP and GEE) will be given in two phases.
"As a former educator,
I realize the apprehension students and educators may feel during test
time," said Keith Guice, President of the Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education. "Our hope is that families and students will take
advantage of the Tutoring Hotline and some of the other resources that are
available to them as a way of relieving some of their anxiety." In addition to the Tutoring
Hotline, the Department offers the following resources on its website:
*To access these resources,
students can obtain a password to participate through their school or by
calling 1-877-453-2721. For additional resources,
including test-taking
tips for families, please visit www.louisianaschools.net. #
# # # # # # # |