Thursday, August 23, 2007 First Baptist Church Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Status and Overview of High School Redesign Paul Pastorek State Superintendent of Education

Framing the Work for Phase 3 Donna Nola-Ganey Department of Education

Framing the Work for Phase 3  Setting 10-year attainment goals to communicate to public  Promoting more Career and Technical Ed For students who opt-out of LA Core-4 For students in LA Core-4  Tackling 8 th Grade Remediation/Retention/Drop Out Issues Includes 8 th Grade High Stakes Testing policy Options Program  Focusing on Guidance and Counseling  Considering Alternative Diploma (Spec Ed)  Examining Alternative Education Options

Focus Area #1: Setting 10-year attainment goals  NGA Grant requires that we set goals and targets for HS Redesign (Aug-Sept)  Communication tool for public  Need to decide what goals and how we want to set targets for those goals  Hope to have some consensus today so that we can share with stakeholders across state.  Will bring back to the Commission afterwards

Focus Area #2: Promoting More Career Technical Ed  For students who opt-out of LA Core 4 (Aug) Policies to drive schools/districts to provide more for these students Policies to require more of students who opt out  For students in LA Core 4 (Sept) How to strengthen CTE Programs around high wage/high demand industries How to increase number of students to pursue technical education

Focus Area #3: 8 th Grade Remediation/Retention  Begin discussion in September with goal to refer to BESE before year end  Do we need to improve current polices for students not successful on 8 th grade LEAP?  How to provide better remediation for these students?  What can be done to save the 5% of 8 th graders who do not return the following year?

Focus Area #4: Guidance and Counseling  What is the role of the guidance counselor in high schools?  How to assure adequate support, training and resources?  BESE established task force  Recommendations to Commission in November

Focus Area #5: Alternative Diplomas for Spec Ed  BESE established Task Force to study issue  Task force has been meeting since January  Looking at the possibility of making allowances for students with disabilities so they can get standard diploma  Reviewing what other states are doing in this area  Considering recommending that students can take alternate assessment to qualify for diploma  Plan to make recommendations to BESE in December

Focus Area #6: Alternative Ed/Options Program  What is the definition of Alternative Schools/Programs?  What are characteristics of successful alternative programs?  What are policies/supports needed to help districts/schools implement successful alternative programs to meet needs of students?

Questions for Commission  Are the focus areas appropriate?  Do you have any that you feel should be added?  Is it reasonable to accomplish by June 30?

Setting 10-year Goals of High School Redesign Gayle Kirwan High School Redesign Coordinator Department of Education

Why 10 year goals?  Required by the NGA grant  Frames the conversation for Public Consumption Elected Officials Policy makers The Education Community Parents The General Public  Public Reporting “De facto” Accountability BESE, State Superintendent, Governor, etc  Schools are not judged by these goals Judged by School Accountability Goals “embedded” in the Graduation Index

What do we hope to accomplish?  Reach consensus on goals and 10-year targets today  Superintendent and staff to gather input on goals and targets from stakeholder groups statewide  Present feedback to Commission in September for consideration

Proposed 10-Year Goals  Increase Graduation Rate 2.Increase Postsecondary and Career Readiness 3. Increase Participation in Postsecondary Education

Criteria for Selecting Indicators  Must be valid  Must be measurable  Must be able to collect in a timely and consistent manner  Cannot be self-reported  Must be understandable to the public

Indicator for Goal #1: Increase Gradation Rate  LA 4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate  Nationally standardized  Start with 9 th grade enrollment  Delete any student who transfers out (Legitimate Leaver)  Must have a regular high school diploma at the end of 4 years  Consistent with HS accountability  Easier for public reporting Note: NOT all non graduates are dropouts

Indicators for Goal #2: Increase Postsecondary and Career Readiness  % Graduates Completing LA Core-4  State Average ACT  # Career and Technical Endorsements  # Students taking CTE Courses through Dual Enrollment or for Articulated Credit  # LA Career Readiness Certificates

Indicator for Goal #3: Increase Participation in Postsecondary Education  % Public School 11 th Graders Enrolling in a LA Public Post- Secondary Institution within 4 years

Questions for Commission to Consider  Are these the right goals and indicators? What are we trying to drive? Will these get us where we want to go?  What kinds of targets should we set? Aspirational? Stretch? Conservative?

Rationale and Consensus of Tier 1 Committee Leslie Jacobs, Vice President BESE

GOAL 1: Increase Graduation Rate Proposal 1 Increase the 4-year graduation rate from 65%-82% Rationale: In alignment with governor’s goal of cutting the number of “drop- outs” in half Are different measurements Proposal 2 Increase the 4-year graduation rate from 65%-80% Rationale: 80% more achievable goal; Easier (even) number to communicate

La 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate (%) Proposal 1 Baseline Goal TOTAL Proposal 2 Baseline Goal TOTAL

GOAL 2: Increase Postsecondary and Career Readiness: LA Core 4  LA Core 4: 80% of students will graduate with LA Core 4 80% of 80%= 64% of all entering freshman

% Graduates Completing LA Core-4 *TOPS Core data used baseline year. Baseline Goal TOTAL

GOAL 2: Increase Postsecondary and Career Readiness: ACT Scores  Selected this indicator in concert with higher ed  Demonstrates readiness for post-secondary education  Goal to increase from 20.1 to 21.6 (1.5 increase)  Nationally, country has increased.2 over the past 10 years  LA has increased 19.6 – 20.1 over past 5 years (.5 increase)

State Average Composite Score on ACT Baseline Goal TOTAL

GOAL 2: Increase Postsecondary and Career Readiness: Additional CTE Indicators  Career Readiness Career-Technical Endorsements Dual-Enrollment or Articulated Credit Industry Based Certification LA Career Readiness Certificates

# Career and Technical Endorsements Awarded Baseline Goal TOTAL 5882,000 # Dually Enrolled/Articulated Credit in CTE Courses Baseline Goal TOTAL 5,30710,000

# Industry-Based Certifications Awarded Baseline Goal TOTAL 3,6008,000 # La Career Readiness Certificates Awarded Baseline Goal TOTAL 2,6529,000

GOAL 3: Increase Participation in Postsecondary Education  Increase % of Public School 11th Graders Enrolling in Louisiana Public Post-Secondary Institutions within 4 Years Baseline Goal TOTAL 75

Questions for Commission  Are these the right goals and indicators? What are we trying to drive? Will these get us where we want to go?  What kinds of targets should we set? Aspirational? Stretch? Conservative?

Promoting More Career and Technical Education Debi Faucette, Division Director Department of Education

Need for More Skilled Workers  To meet this need we must do two things Prepare students who opt out of LA Core 4 to enter the skilled workforce Encourage students who complete LA Core 4 to pursue technical careers

Other states’ requirements for students who opt out  Arkansas and Indiana Complete general diploma requirements Choose and follow a career path that includes a sequence of related vocational courses  Oklahoma Complete general diploma requirements Meet with guidance counselor for career counseling  Michigan Can’t opt out, but may make individual course substitutions with parental approval beginning junior year

3 Policy Recommendations For students who choose to opt out of LA Core 4 Curriculum

Must Complete Career Area of Concentration  4 credits within a career cluster  2 other related credits including a computer credit Rationale Data indicate that students with a focus:  are more successful academically  have fewer absences and discipline problems  are less likely to drop out  exit school with marketable skills or well on their way 1

Must Enroll in and Complete Education for Careers Course  Require schools to offer as elective  All 9 th graders may take  All 11 th graders opting out must take Require as competency course in every career area of concentration  Must be deeper and richer than career survey course  Partner with LCTCS and Business in development  Make available on line through LA Virtual School  Integrate EPAS and E-Portal  Use existing DOE Education for Career Course as foundation for new course 2

Current Education for Careers Benchmarks Benchmark 1: The student will be able to utilize career resources to research career choice. Benchmark 2: The student will be able to assess personal strengths and weaknesses as related to career choice. Benchmark 3: The student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of and develop strong employability skills to empower them to succeed in a work environment. Benchmark 4: The student will be able to complete a career portfolio to assist in successful transition from school to work that includes research materials and work samples. Benchmark 5: The student will be able to prepare for career changes or future changes in their career choice and to be lifelong learners.

Require WorkKeys Training and Assessment  Incorporate WorkKeys training and assessment in Education for Careers course Win (lower level) or Key Train Curriculum Paper and electronic versions  WorkKeys Training and Assessment includes: benchmark assessment prescribed curriculum progress monitoring post assessment  Provide funding necessary for implementation 3

Considerations  Human Resources Qualified Teachers Teacher Training  Capacity of schools to provide: Variety of skills offerings Partnerships with business/industry and LCTCS for skills training locations Online courses Computer access  Fiscal Resources Costs aligned with each recommendation  Desired Outcomes Will this take us where we want to go?

Next Steps  Next Commission Meeting – September 25  First Baptist Church  Issues for Discussion Promoting Career and Tech Ed for Students in LA Core 4 Begin Tackling 8 th Grade Remediation and Retention Issues