Louisiana is taking the improvement of education seriously. Historically, education has been a low priority in this state, but this is changing. State leaders have rallied to reverse the widespread reluctance to adequately fund education, increasing state support of education and adding provisions to address funding inequities across districts. The state's economy is improving and with it comes access to additional money, which the state has earmarked for education and used to leverage even more federal funds.

There is concern in some camps that improvement in student achievement is not coming fast enough. The president of the Council for a Better Louisiana warned that there is still a "critical need to focus on student achievement and school performance" (11). Graduation rates and test scores have not improved very much over the past decade. For example, from 1990 to 1996, the percentage of eighth graders scoring at or above the basic level on the NAEP math test increased six points, but Louisiana students still rank next to last when compared to those in other states (7). A BESE member was reported as saying that school improvement in Louisiana requires provision of enough money to provide a "minimum education" for all students, implementation of the school accountability plan, and improvement in teacher pay and training. "It's a three-pronged attack. If you leave any one of those out, you're not going to make it" (11).

Teachers in Louisiana have been among the poorest paid in the country. Improving teacher salaries is key to improving education in the state, and salaries are getting closer to the regional average with the pay raises that have come out of the past three legislative sessions. This should raise morale among the state's teachers and, over time, lead to an increase in the number of new teachers entering the profession in Louisiana.

The state is taking a very close look at teacher learning. LaSIP believes in the importance of focusing attention on professional development, and LDE has a new division charged with providing better access to training for teachers across the state. LaSIP and LDE are shifting some of their attention to garnering the support of the administrators who control access to professional development opportunities for teachers. They are also making plans to develop cadres of trained teachers within individual schools and districts. These actions should help ensure that teachers can get the training and support they need to provide quality instruction for students.

A LaSIP evaluation report states that "lack of capacity appears to be Louisiana's most significant barrier to reform" (1, p. 32). Teachers and administrators do not appear to have the experiences necessary to cope with all of the new expectations and responsibilities. They will have to adapt to a number of significant changes in a short time. They are being held accountable for their students' achievement on new, more stringent tests, but they are assured more local control, including local teacher evaluation, and more consistent state funds. So, the state is both transferring control to the local districts and providing guidance through training, technical assistance, and guidebooks.

This paper began with the idea that the education story in Louisiana is infused with excitement, energy, and hope. It is a complex story. The improvement of a system that begins the reform effort ranked near the bottom is, to put it bluntly, hard work. With all the excitement comes the realization that there is a lot of work ahead-for teachers, administrators, policy makers, and students. With all the energy that some people bring to the process comes the knowledge that it takes more--more money, more support, more risk-taking, more people committed to the reform efforts, more good ideas, more perseverance. The early successes have provided a source of momentum to keep the efforts alive, so that people stay involved in the work as long as necessary to effect a positive change and provide a quality coherent education for all students.