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Pre-K - 12 Education |
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Require Louisiana high schools to offer students career and technical programs, especially those tied to community or technical college certificates and degrees or industry-based certification, to reduce dropouts and better prepare young people for the workforce.
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During the 2006-2007 school year, nearly 16,000 students in grades 7-12 dropped out. In the most recent four-year period, a staggering 70,000 kids left school, not including those working on a GED. |
Louisiana high schools face a serious problem with dropouts. Many students dropout early, sometimes even before entering 9th grade, because they are well behind their peers academically. Even some students performing at their correct grade level simply don’t find high school relevant and so they leave early.
What is particularly frightening for Louisiana is that we know that most of these young people face a future that is uncertain at best. The consequences are reflected in the state’s continuing problems with poverty, crime and skilled workforce shortages. In addition, a significant number of students who stay in school graduate unprepared for either college or work training.
Many high schools do not offer technical or career-based courses that lead to certificates or post-secondary credits. Many more do not offer dual enrollment programs with technical, community or regional colleges. We must make these opportunities available either through career and industry-based programs or dual enrollment with technical and community colleges.
In 2009 the Legislature passed a law to create a new career diploma for students who do not want to pursue a regular high school degree or attend a four-year college. While its intent was to give struggling students more options, we have a number of concerns about it. We believe it lowers standards and could inadvertently trap students in a diploma path that would be difficult to opt out of if they change their minds. CABL will be closely monitoring this new degree program and commenting on it as it is implemented and we see its results.
In the meantime, we must continue to offer career-based dual enrollment programs in our high schools and encourage those that are low-performing to institute “whole school re-designs” with a focus on faculty re-training and smaller groups of students.
This is an area where Louisiana must make a concerted effort to improve if we are to grow our economy and workforce and improve the opportunities for our young people.
Things to Consider
- In 2008, 83% of Louisiana high schools were below the state ten-year academic goal set for the 2009-2010 school year.
- 43% of Louisiana high schools had very low-performing or failing School Performance Scores in 2008.
- Only 16% of high schools met academic growth targets in 2008.
- 27% of Louisiana high schools had no academic growth or declined in 2007-08.
- 57% of districts do a poor job of retaining kids in school from the 8th to 9th grade (2007).
- In 2008 the average ACT score for Louisiana was 20.3, compared to the national average of 21.1. However, Louisiana’s average ACT scores have improved recently.
- Louisiana employers report that 40% of graduates who apply for entry level jobs lack basic skills.
View Related Data from the Louisiana Fact Book
Click Here (PDF)
View Related Data for the Education Report Card
Click Here for PDF
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Web Resources:
LA Department of Education – www.doe.state.la.us
Southern Regional Education Board – www.sreb.org
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