Program E: Office of Quality Educators

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Program E: Office of Quality Educators

Program Authorization: 36:649D; R.S. 36:649F; R.S. 173042.1; R.S. 17:7.3; R.S. 17:31-33; R.S.17:(6)(A-E); R.S. 17:7.1, 7.2; R.S. 36:649E; R.S. 17:15; R.S. 17:21-22; R.S. 17:3403; R.S. 17:3896; R.S. 17:3761-3764; R.S. 17:7.4; Article 7, Section 10.1; Title V, Part D subpart 2 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended in 1986

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Office of Quality Educators Program is responsible for standards, assessment, evaluation and certification of all elementary and secondary educators in Louisiana as well as designing, developing and coordinating quality professional development which is structured and provided within the context of ongoing school improvement planning.

The mission of the Office of Quality Educators Program is to provide leadership and focus and to coordinate services and resources necessary to ensure that the students of Louisiana are served by highly qualified and competent educators in their classrooms and schools.

The goal of the Office of Quality Educators Program is to have highly qualified and competent educators in all Louisiana classrooms and schools.

The Office of Quality Educators Program includes the following activities: Teacher Certification and Higher Education, School Leadership, Professional Accountability and New Teacher Mentor, Teaching Personnel Professional Development, and Distinguished Educators.

OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

The Office of Quality Educators Program provides leadership and support to the Department of Education. The success of this program is reflected in the success of the other activities in the program. Performance information consistent with this program's strategic plan and with the statewide model for administration/support service programs will be reported next year. The Office of Quality Educators Program will provide the following indicators for FY 1998-99:

1. The Office of Quality Educators Program, through the teacher certification and higher education activity, will take appropriate action on 90% of all certification applications, inquiries and requests submitted by teachers, administrators and ancillary school personnel within an 8 week time period in FY 1998-99.

2. The Office of Quality Educators Program, through the teacher certification and higher education activity, will evaluate, process and fund 100% fo the tuition exemption applications within 30 days after the submission deadline in FY 1998-99.

3. The Office of Quality Educators Program, through the teacher certification and higher education activity, will process and fund 100% of the innovative professional development proposals within 45 days after the submission deadline in FY 1998-99.

4. The Office of Quality Educators Program, through the school leadership development activity, will provide professional development opportunities in order for 98% of newly appointed principles to successfully complete the Louisiana Principal Internship program in FY 1998-99.

1 A comprehensive plan for school leadership development is currently under development and specific components have not been determined. It is anticipated that the current Louisiana Principal Internship program will continue. Professional standards for principals will be developed FY 1997-'98 and training on standards will be provided in FY 1998-'99. A selection and recruitment program will be implemented FY 1998-'99.

5. The Office of Quality Educators Program, through the school leadership development activity, will have 85% of the participating educators complete the professional standards for principals training program in FY 1998-99.

6. The Office of Quality Educators Program, through the professional accountability and new teacher mentor activity, will monitor the mandated 22 local education agencies (LEAs) annually through the Local Personnel Evaluation program and have 80% of the local plans in compliance with state standards in Fy 1998-99.

1 Numbers updated from Executive Budget estimates produced Fall 1996.

7. The Office of Quality Educators, through the professional accountability and new teacher mentor activity, will administer the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program for all new teachers and will maintain records for those new teachers achieving/not achieving assessment standards in FY 1998-99.

1 The responsibility for the implementation of their objective remains with the local education agencies.

8. The Office of Quality Educators, through the Louisiana Distinguished Educator activity, will select and train 12 educators to each assist not more than 2 low-achieving schools in SY 1999-2000.

RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR THE PROGRAM

SOURCE OF FUNDING

This program is funded by general fund, interagency transfers, self-generated revenue, statutory dedication and federal funds. The source of the interagency transfers is the Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund (8(g)). Self-generated revenues are collected from Teacher Certification fees. The source of the statutory dedication is the School Leadership Development Fund as authorized by Act 472 of the 1997 Regular Legislative Session. (Per R.S.39:32B.(8), see table below for a listing of expenditures out of each statutory dedicated fund.) Federal funds are provided by grants or allocations from Title 1 and 6 of the Improving America's Schools Act; Sections B, C, and H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and grants for the Christa McAuffie Fellowship Awards.

ANALYSIS OF RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL FUND	TOTAL	T.O.	DESCRIPTION

$3,337,902	$6,289,001	55	ACT 18 FISCAL YEAR 1997-1998
			BA-7 TRANSACTIONS:
$0	$0	0	None

$3,337,902	$6,289,001	55	EXISTING OPERATING BUDGET - December 10, 1997

$0	($14,000)	0	Non-recurring Adjustment to eliminate 8(g)-financed Education Majors Program balance
$0	($51,970)	0	Equipment/Major Repairs Adjustment(s)
$12,868	$42,862	0	Annualization of 1997-'98 Merit Pay Adjustment(s)
$17,960	$48,546	0	1998 -'99 Merit Pay Adjustment(s)
($72,142)	($118,717)	0	Attrition Adjustment(s)
($1,087)	($1,087)	0	Retirement Rate Adjustment(s)
$200,000	$200,000	0	Annualization of the Teacher Mentor Program
$300,000	$300,000	0	Increase general fund for Teacher Mentor compensation
$0	$996,849	0	Increase Title 2 and Tile 6 administrative budgets to reflect grant allocations
$0	$130,346	0	Increase 8(g)-financed Principal Internship Program and adjust Tuition Exemption administrative programs
$29,614	$101,437	(2)	Transfer salaries and positions to reflect departmental reorganization
$0	$288,025	0	Add statutory dedication funding from the School Leadership Development fund to establish a budget of $746,060 in new and carryforward funding
$0	$1,250,000	2	Increase federal Title 1 - School Improvement funding and 8(g) ($250,000) for the Distinguished Educators component of the School and District Accountability initiative
$0	$30,000	0	Add 8(g) for administrative expenses of National Teacher Certification Project

$3,825,115	$9,491,292	55	TOTAL RECOMMENDED

$487,213	$3,202,291	0	DIFFERENCE (TOTAL RECOMMENDED AND EXISTING OPERATING BUDGET)

The total means of financing for this program is recommended at 141.7% of the existing operating budget. It represents 84.5% of the total request ($10,548,570) for this program. The increase in general fund is primarily attributable to the annualization of the Teacher Mentor Program Pilot in accordance with Act 838 of the 1997 Regular Legislative Session and the addition of $300,000 for Teacher Mentor Compensation. Statutory Dedication from the School Leadership Development Fund was increased to reflect a $222,1000 balance in the existing budget available for carryforward and the addition of $523,960 available for appropriation from the School Leadership Development Fund. The increase in federal funds reflects adjustments in Title 2 and Title 6 administrative budgets to reflect actual grant allocations available; and $1,250,000 was added in Title 1 School Improvement and 8(g) funding to finance the Distinguished Educators component of the School and District Accountability Initiative.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

$7,400		Other Professional Services-Consultants to monitor training for the mentoring pilot
$80,000		Other Professional Services-Consultants to assist in implementation of mentoring pilot
$58,490		Other Professional Services-Consultant to implement Assessment System for Special Education Group II new Teachers
$36,260		Other professional Provide teacher assessor training
$39,838		Other Professional Services-Consultant to provide technical assistance in Assessment Program revisions
$2,000		Legal Professional Services-Legal counsel for assessment team
$24,837		Other Professional Services-Consultant to assist with implementation recommendations of the Local Personnel Evaluation committee
$41,175		Other Professional Services-Support services in connection with scannable assessment materials for Teacher Assessment Program
$23,568		Other Professional Services-Conduct distance learning workshops, train teacher advisors at technical conference; train teachers on software, hardware and assistive devices; plan
		multi-cultural awareness programs
$12,000		Other Professional Services-Consultants and presenters for university forum and regional focus groups
$3,500		Other Professional Services-Trainers for statewide conference of teachers of visually impaired on assistive technology
$5,000		Other Professional Services-Five arts institutes to train teachers on incorporating art into curriculum of students with disabilities
$36,569		Other Professional Services-Supportive learning task force and interagency evaluators for training and recruiting grants
$11,800		Other Professional Services-Federal program evaluations
$70,000		Other Professional Services-Consultants to assist with development of School Leadership programs
$500,000		Other Professional Services-Distinguished Educators-Consultants to acquire services of 12-member Design Team and to train on topics identified by design team

$952,437		TOTAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

OTHER CHARGES

$214,500		Teacher Assessment-Substitute reimbursement including new teacher orientation ($140,000); assessor training for experienced teachers ($50,000); and panel meetings ($24,500)
$1,911,500		Teacher Assessment-Compensation for experienced teacher assessors and retired educators or faculty
$150,000		Teacher Assessment-Resource materials, professional books, staff development videos, teaching strategy guides for new teachers in 71 local education agencies
$60,000		Teacher mentor pilot expenses
$115,722		Tuition Exemption-Basic (8g): administrative component of program
$109,045		Tuition Exemption-Innovative (8g): administrative component of program
$300,000		Principal Internship (8g); provides funding for training of all newly appointed principals and assistance principals
$580,600		Distinguished Educators-costs associated with intensive training of twelve (12) distinguished educators to be selected in Spring 1999

$3,441,367		TOTAL OTHER CHARGEES

		Interagency Transfers:
$279,615		Management and Finance: Indirect cost, printing, postage, maintenance, office supplies
$11,368		Reimbursement to various other agencies for providing coffee supplies, meeting rooms

$290,983		TOTAL INTERAGENCY TRANSFERS

ACQUISITIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS

$123,500		Juliet Brailler Embrosser and Communication Devices for Special Education, Color Laser Printer, Laserjet printer, Think Pads, Computers and Monitors, File Cabinets, Chairs and Desks

$123,500		TOTAL ACQUISTIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS

19 EDUCATION

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