Public Forum

PHASE I DRAFT

RECOMMENDATIONS

Process Study of data Identification of problem areas Consultation with national experts Examination of best practices Creation of vision Crafting of recommendations

Problem One:

Dropping out of high school BEGINS well before high school.

Too many students ENTER high school totally unprepared for high school-level work.

Recommendation I-1 Implement an Early Warning

System

Identify students who are behind Focus on grades 6-10 Use iLEAP and LEAP results to determine Provide extra instruction in literacy and

math

Recommendation I-2Design a Tiered Literacy and Math Strategy for Students in

Grades 6-10 Who Are Behind, to Include:

Diagnostic assessments Research-based instructional

approaches Accelerated Learning

Recommendation I-3

Support Implementation of Literacy Interventions

Target schools with high concentrations of students who are behind

Double doses of instructional time in reading and math

Release time for teacher coaches Faculty-wide literacy training Special training for intervention teachers

Recommendation I-4 Begin Implementation of

Literacy Initiative

Reading literacy pilot - summer 2006

Engage higher education in training programs

Problem Two:Too many students fall through the cracks in our high schools, especially during the ninth grade.

They feel like they are invisible and that no adult really knows them.

Recommendation II-1Identify Strategies to Increase

Personalization

Small learning communities Adult mentors/adult advisories 9th grade “seminars”

Recommendation II-2 Support Implementation of Personalization Strategies

Professional development

•Administrators

•Teachers

•Counselors Research-based resources Implementation assistance

Problem Three:Much of the coursework students take duringhigh school is neither rigorous nor relevant.

Even in courses with the same titles, expectations vary from school-to-school and from teacher-to-teacher, and many students can’t see the connection between the content of these courses and their future.

Recommendation III-1Launch Electronic Online Portal To

Support Education And Career Planning

Information rich •Career information and opportunities •Education programs, incentives, and

assistance•Interest and aptitude inventories

Personalized student portfolios•5-year Education and Career Plans•Course grades•Test scores•Resumes

Recommendation III-1Launch Electronic Online Portal To

Support Education And Career Planning (cont.)

Engaging, motivational, and user-friendly

Easily accessible Regularly updated Multi-agency oversight Technical support User training

Recommendation III-2Increase Relevance of

Learning

Infusion of rich, real-world activities into existing courses

Design of new, more interesting courses (standards-based)

Recommendation III-3Implement End-of-Course

Assessments

Key high school courses •Algebra I•Biology•English I

Pilot in 2006 Student’s grade in course linked to exam

score Eventual replacement for high school

accountability system components

Problem Four:

Too many students have a wasted senior year.

Recommendation IV-1Pilot a Dual Enrollment

Program

Pilot in 2006-07

Small number of select courses

•College General Education courses

•Articulated across state colleges & universities

Recommendation IV-2Launch a Statewide Dual Enrollment

Program

Joint effort of BOR and BESE Oversight Committee to develop program

specifics•Curriculum

• Instruction

•Professional development

•Funding

•Logistics

•Equity of Access and Quality

•Evaluation

Students who fail courses or the GEE have too few ways to get back on track and graduate with their class. Often, they just give up and disappear.

Problem Five:

Recommendation V-1Revise Current Policy to Permit

Alternative Mechanisms for Recovery of Course Credit

End-of-course or proficiency exams

Self-paced options (i.e., online learning, tutoring)

Make up of time missed due to excessive absences

Recommendation V-2Provide Remedial Instruction to Students Failing the GEE on the

1st Attempt

Summer remediation

Academic year remediation

Based upon study of best practices

Problem Six:The people of Louisiana have too little easy-to-understand data on how high school students are performing, how many students complete high school, and their postsecondary success.

They also have too little data on the implications of these results for the future– either of the students or the state as a whole.

Recommendation VI-1Issue An Annual Report OnLouisiana’s High Schools

Initial report

•Baseline data

•Goals for progress

Subsequent progress reports

Widely distributed

Recommendation VI-2 Have Governor Serve As Lead

Messenger And Advocate

Regular communications to the public

Reports to the legislature

•Progress of high schools in Louisiana

•Missed educational and economic opportunities

Where do we begin?

NO COST

II-1 Identify Personalization Strategies

V-1 Revise Current Credit Recovery Policy

VI-2 Governor as Lead Advocate and Messenger for High School Redesign

COSTFunding in Place

III-1 Career and Education Portal (E-Portal)

IV-1 Pilot Dual Enrollment Program

VI-1 Annual Report on High Schools

COST Proposed Budget

Pending

I-1 Development of Early Warning System

I-2 Development of Tiered Literacy and Math Strategy

I-3 Implementation Support for Tiered Literacy and Math Strategy

I-4 Reading literacy pilot - summer 2006

COSTFunding Needed

I-4 Training and Support for Literacy Interventions

II-2 Training & Support for School Personalization

III-2 Redesign Courses to Increase Relevance

III-3 End-of-Course Assessments

IV-2 Statewide Dual Enrollment Program

V-2 GEE Remediation

QuestionsHigh School Redesign

Public ForumsDonna Nola-Ganey

(225)342-39001-877-453-2721