Special to the American Press

Louisiana Pre-K-12 education improved in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best States rankings. Pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education in Louisiana moved from 41st to 40th, which marks the state’s highest ranking in this national indicator. This comes a year after Louisiana Pre-K-12 education jumped five places in these same rankings.

“This positive growth reflects the efforts of students and teachers,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “While I’m encouraged, I also realize we have more work ahead to provide a high-quality education for every student.”

Louisiana has benefitted from the state’s fundamental shift in how students are taught to read, a focus on foundational math skills, an emphasis on career and college readiness, and bold policy decisions that support a back to the basics approach to education.

“Louisiana’s steady climb in this ranking reflects the hard work of educators and their unwavering focus on positive outcomes for students,” said BESE President Ronnie Morris. “The consistent progress we’re seeing in measures of K-12 performance confirms that our state is on the right track, and underscores the productive partnership between educators, policymakers and stakeholders that has been essential to driving success. We must continue working together in support of the good work of students and schools to keep this momentum going.”

This is the latest data to show the continued progress of Louisiana students:

• Louisiana is one of three states where average reading achievement in 2023 was above 2019 levels.
• Louisiana ranked at the top of a national list recognizing states for adopting a comprehensive early literacy policy to provide students with the foundational reading skills to learn, graduate, and succeed.
• Louisiana has exceeded its pre-pandemic school performance score following consecutive years of growth.
• Louisiana high school students earned record achievements on Advanced Placement tests.
• Louisiana’s 2023 senior class earned the first annual increase in average ACT since 2017, even as the national average dropped.
• Louisiana students increased scores for the second consecutive year and 75% of school systems improved on the 2023 LEAP.
• Louisiana’s 4th graders led the country in reading growth and the state’s overall ranking moved from 46th to 42nd among the states from 2019 to 2022 on NAEP.

The U.S. News & World Report Pre-K-12 ranking informs the Best States rankings. It measures state performance across the life cycle of a young person’s education, encompassing preschool enrollment, standardized test scores among eighth-graders, high school graduation rate and college readiness.

Louisiana’s top gambling regulator Ronnie Johns, who ushered in the state’s largest gaming expansion in three decades, is resigning next month to spend more time with his family.

Johns, a Republican who oversaw the addition of sports wagering to the Louisiana gambling scene, said new GOP Gov. Jeff Landry didn’t ask him to step down.

Landry is expect to appoint a new chair of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board soon.

“I’m about to be 75 years old, and Michelle and I have things we want to do, and this is a full-time job,” Johns said in an interview with USA Today Network. “It’s time.”

Johns, who lives in Lafayette, will retire after 37 years of elective and appointed public service that included a stint as the Louisiana Lottery chairman, 12 years in the state House and 10 years in the state Senate.

Former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Johns to lead the Louisiana Gaming Control Board in 2021 as the state was poised to add sports wagering to its gambling options.

Sports wagering now contributes nearly $100 million annually in revenue supporting the state budget.

“We did it the right way and in a manner that generated confidence in the future of sports betting for both players, the industry and lawmakers,” Johns said.

Johns also has courted $1 billion or more in new investment from casino companies who have upgraded or transformed their properties, from the complete rebuild of Ceasars Horsehoe Casino in Lake Charles after it was destroyed by Hurricane Laura to the Queen and Belle in Baton Rouge and the Louisiana Live! Casino in Bossier.

Those investments escalated with the recent option for Louisiana’s riverboat casinos to build landside properties.

Johns is bullish on the Shreveport-Bossier market and believes The Cordish Companies’ nearly $300 million investment into Louisiana Live! will help reverse a two-decade decline because of increased competition from Oklahoma.

“I honestly think this development will grow the entire Shreveport-Bossier market,” Johns said. “That’s been proven in the Lake Charles market. When the new Horseshoe opened there, it expanded the market rather than cannibalized it.”

Jon Cordish has promised his family’s complete renovation of the former Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City will transform the former property into a destination gambling, event and entertainment resort that will rival the top destinations in the country.

“It’s going to have a quality and energy that when you walk into this property, you’ll feel like you’re in a premier casino and resort in the top gaming markets, including Las Vegas,” said Cordish, a principal with The Cordish Companies, in a previous interview with USA Today Network.

Louisiana Live! will be the first land-based casino in Shreveport-Bossier.

Johns said his resignation is effective June 30.

“I will leave the board knowing that I did my work as regulator with the integrity that it calls for with fairness to the industry, but with absolute compliance of our strict gaming laws and rules that we must adhere to,” Johns said. “There comes a time in everyone’s life when they should step back and make their family the No. 1 priority. I have arrived at that point.”

More: Louisiana is banning certain sports bets: What you need to know

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.