A+ in Louisiana

Louisiana students deserve a more engaged and successful education experience. Research shows that schools that teach through an arts-integrated curriculum have students that are both engaged and successful.

After spending over a year learning more about the A+ system by working with Oklahoma A+ Schools, GRFA knows that the time is now to start an A+ System in Louisiana. We first introduced this plan to start Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+) during the week of June 4, 2012, at information sessions in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette.

For 10 years, Oklahoma A+ Schools has had the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in Oklahoma City as a higher education partner. A higher education partner is essential because they can:

• Provide facilities for the A+ offices and teacher trainings
  
• Employ the A+ staff
• Give a support structure for A+ payroll and benefits
  
• Lend professor's expertise to research the A+ Network
  

In Louisiana, Louisiana State University (LSU) would like to have a similar role for LAA+ Schools. For Louisiana, having LSU as an in-state higher education partner means that the work to start an A+ network can start NOW!

Plan to Start LAA+

It will take three (3) years for OKA+ to work with citizens of Louisiana in order to form a self-sufficient LAA+ Network. A full time line is below (click to enlarge), however, here are some important points to note:

• Everything begins when the LAA+ Director is hired
• A Louisiana school commits to eight A+ Essentials to be a part of LAA+
• Commitment of a school requires at least 85% of staff approval
• LAA+ is open to all K-12 public, private, charter, rich, poor, urban, suburban and rural schools in Louisiana
• Ideally, member schools do not pay LAA+ for membership
  
• No school can ever be forced to become an A+ School
  
• OKA+ Fellows will train Louisiana teachers on the A+ Essentials
  
• It will take 3 years for OKA+ Fellows to fully train LAA+ Fellows