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LDOE reports rising early‑childhood classroom ratings; department to target language development and online training
Summary
LDOE presented updated early‑childhood accountability results showing most sites at proficient or higher; the department will target infant–toddler language development through new training modules, coaching via regional child‑care resource networks, and targeted supports for lower‑performing sites.
The Department of Education told BESE’s committee on Jan. 9 that early‑childhood classroom observation scores have improved statewide and that the department will focus next on boosting language‑development domains in infant and toddler classrooms.
Why this matters: Early classroom interactions — teacher talk, language modeling and support for emergent literacy — are foundational for later reading success. LDOE said raising those observation scores across birth‑to‑5 classrooms is essential to improving kindergarten readiness.
What LDOE reported: Assistant Superintendent for Early Childhood Education (named in transcript as Miss Baker) summarized performance‑profile ratings for more than 1,800 early‑childhood sites. Since 2017 the percent of sites rated proficient or higher has risen from about 68% to over 95% in the most recent reporting cycle. The department said 68.6% of sites are now rated at the two highest levels (high proficient or excellent), and it established a goal to lift that share by 5 percentage points by 2028.
Targeted next steps: LDOE said it will build online modules and coaching focused on language development — including shared reading, print awareness, phonological awareness and emergent writing — and deploy supports through Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) service areas. Rapides Parish was highlighted as a local exemplar where targeted professional development and curriculum alignment produced measurable gains in classroom observation scores.
Data and operations: LDOE acknowledged limitations in cross‑system data integration and said IT work is underway to move CCAP attendance and payment systems to new platforms that will improve analytics and family access. LDOE will also publish progress on module participation and reported site improvements in future updates to the board.
Ending: Committee members asked the department to link classroom observation improvements to student‑level early‑literacy measures when possible and to return with updates on the rollout and outcomes of the language‑development initiative.
