Our Strategy and Impact

New Orleans – the nation’s first public education system made up of predominately charter schools – has transformed itself since 2005. As a strategic leader in the city, NSNO has a mission of ensuring that our innovative system delivers on the promise of excellent public schools for every child in New Orleans.

To accomplish this goal, we:
1) Invest in Great Public Schools
2) Help Schools Become More Effective
3) Coordinate Solutions to Citywide Challenges

NSNO Contributes to Change in Three Ways.

1. Invest in Great Public Schools

We invest in the launch or expansion of high-performing, open-enrollment public schools.

31 schools launched through NSNO funding and programming support, currently serving over 12,000 students

Open and Expand High-Quality Schools

NSNO facilitates the launch, expansion, and replication of high-performing charter schools. Using a rigorous application and review process, NSNO provides funding to start schools that will serve students effectively from Day 1. When schools demonstrate continued success, NSNO provides funding and technical support for these schools to expand and serve more students. To fund this work, NSNO uses resources from the NOLA Charter Excellence Fund.

Turnaround Under-Performing Schools

NSNO provides funding and support to charter school operators with the best academic results to tackle the challenge of transforming low-quality schools in New Orleans. From 2010-15, NSNO supported this work with a federal Investing in Innovation (i3) grant and matching funds. Going forward, NOLA CEF will support this important work.

2. Help Schools Become More Effective

We provide schools with direct support to help accelerate academic improvements.

48

NOLA school leaders have attended Relay Graduate School of Education’s National Principals Academy Fellowships with NSNO support to increase their effectiveness in leading teachers

358

teachers received training, coaching, and support through NSNO partners last year to improve their practice

26

schools received School Quality Reviews last year in which NSNO staff and NOLA school leaders give feedback to schools to help improve academic results and culture

61

schools received technical assistance from NSNO in their transition to the new Common Core State Standards

29

charter schools serving more than 13,500 students received NSNO support for teacher improvement through the U.S. Department of Education Teacher Incentive Fund Grant

17

schools in New Orleans are piloting Personalized Learning programs that support individualized student growth with support from NSNO

Train and Support Teachers and Leaders

At the heart of New Orleans’ academic transformation are thousands of educators who dedicate themselves to delivering great instruction to the city’s students. NSNO provides funding and support to school talent development organizations that recruit new and experienced teachers, train school leaders and provide outstanding coaching and guidance to schools. These efforts bolster the work happening in schools across the city to better serve students.

Support School Improvement

NSNO provides direct support to schools as they progress toward excellence. Our school support team offers coaching, professional development, and other resources that help to improve outcomes in classrooms and across schools. NSNO’s School Quality Reviews give school leaders the opportunity to receive feedback from teachers and staff, as well as advice from their peers across the city on how to improve practices and increase academic achievement.

3. Coordinate Solutions to Citywide Challenges

We develop strategies to address citywide challenges and remove barriers to academic excellence.

NSNO developed a citywide special education blueprint:

Research

Strategy

Advocacy

Programs

NSNO interviewed school leaders, special education teachers and coordinators, and parents across New Orleans to determine the most pressing needs for students with disabilities in schools throughout the city.

With input from New Orleans educators, special education leaders, local advocates, and policy makers, NSNO developed a citywide special education blueprint focused on expanding the number of quality options for students with disabilities.

We advocated for schools to receive resources to meet the needs of all students with disabilities, which contributed to the RSD adjusting the school funding formula in 2014 to ensure a more equitable allocation of resources earmarked for students with disabilities.

We funded the creation of new programs and the expansion of existing programs at schools to meet the behavioral health and academic needs of students with disabilities.

Remove Barriers to Success

NSNO works with local governmental agencies, non-profits, and schools to identify and solve challenges that might prevent students and schools from reaching their potential. Recent initiatives include: 1) implementing a citywide special education strategy to support teachers and leaders in providing high-quality services to students with disabilities 2) supporting the expansion of personalized instruction and innovative integration of technology in the classroom and 3) building a sustainable pipeline of high-quality teachers by supporting innovative pathways into the profession.

Read more about NSNO’s work in our annual updates: 2015|2014|2013|2012|2011|2010.