Improving New Orleans' Schools

It’s hard to believe now, but just two decades ago, New Orleans had one of the worst public school systems in America.

Before Hurricane Katrina, 60% of New Orleans schools earned failing grades on state performance scores, and the system was so rife with fraud that the FBI had indicted 11 district leaders for corruption. Parents had to stock toilet paper for their local schools and school superintendents lasted an average of less than a year.

But today the landscape is totally different. There are no longer any failing or crumbling schools, and:

• NOLA Students improved from the bottom tier to about the state average.

• High school graduation have gone from 56% to around 80%.

• College entry rates have increased from 37% to over 50%.

This represents one of the most dramatic and sustained improvements in urban education that America has ever witnessed.

How?