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-2 Design 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-1 Identify 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 during high 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-1 Launch 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-1 Launch 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-2 Increase Relevance of Learning  Infusion of rich, real-world activities into existing courses  Design of new, more interesting courses (standards-based)

Recommendation III-3 Implement 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-1 Pilot a Dual Enrollment Program  Pilot in  Small number of select courses College General Education courses Articulated across state colleges & universities

Recommendation IV-2 Launch 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-1 Revise 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-2 Provide Remedial Instruction to Students Failing the GEE on the 1 st 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-1 Issue An Annual Report On Louisiana’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-1Identify Personalization Strategies V-1Revise Current Credit Recovery Policy VI-2Governor as Lead Advocate and Messenger for High School Redesign

COST Funding in Place III-1Career and Education Portal (E-Portal) IV-1Pilot Dual Enrollment Program VI-1Annual Report on High Schools

COST Proposed Budget Pending I-1Development of Early Warning System I-2Development of Tiered Literacy and Math Strategy I-3Implementation Support for Tiered Literacy and Math Strategy I-4Reading literacy pilot - summer 2006

COST Funding Needed I-4Training and Support for Literacy Interventions II-2Training & Support for School Personalization III-2Redesign Courses to Increase Relevance III-3End-of-Course Assessments IV-2Statewide Dual Enrollment Program V-2GEE Remediation

Questions High School Redesign Public Forums Donna Nola-Ganey (225)