Leaders from Louisiana public schools, colleges and universities are launching an ambitious program to rebuild high schools, close the last “lost” year and better prepare students for college or a career.
The program, called “Fast Forward”, would allow juniors and seniors to spend most of their time earning an associate’s degree, taking classes at a community or technical college, a state-approved satellite campus or participating in an apprenticeship.
“We know that the gateway to work now is rarely a high school diploma,” said State Superintendent of Education, Cade Brumley. “The gateway to work also requires a credential, an internship, an associate’s diploma or a professional diploma”.
Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed said the reform is nothing short of an attempt to reimagine the appearance of a high school.
“We need this because we need to make sure that high schools are more relevant to students today,” said Reed. “It can be a real game changer.”
One of the driving forces behind the momentum is the small number of high school students who earn associate degrees while in high school – 159 out of 42,650 trained on the last count.
A year after Louisiana’s public high school completion rate reached a milestone celebrated by state leaders, the rate dropped, the state …
“It’s not even a third of a percent,” noted Brumley.
Louisiana also has a low number of students attending both high school and college classes – double enrollment – amid problems in how to finance them and make them accessible to students in rural areas.
A statewide task is expected to pass recommendations on Wednesday with the goal of launching a statewide system that will eventually guarantee all high schools.
In the most recent count, only 1 in 5 students in the second year of high school and senior year were attending college.
At the same time, only 40% of high school students work full hours.
Reed said the new options address the “last wasted year” issue.
The plan would give students three options that would dramatically change the third and fourth years of high school.
One would allow students seeking a technical and professional education diploma – called Jump Start – to obtain a technical associate diploma on university campuses with courses that also earn them high school credits.
The revival of Louisiana’s career and technical education system could become one of the state’s biggest education success stories in recent years.
Another option would be to allow students who plan to attend a four-year university to obtain an associate’s degree that would allow them to start college as juniors.
The third path would allow students to pursue apprenticeships approved by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which would put them on the road to meaningful employment after high school.
The ninth and tenth grades would remain largely unchanged – students attended basic academic classes to meet the requirements of the high school diploma.
The plan was approved by the State Council for Elementary and Secondary Education and the Council of Regents.
Last week, the state Department of Education issued an application for applications to start the effort in eight regions of the state.
Grants of up to $ 50,000 will be awarded to regional secondary school systems and higher education officials in each area to begin mapping plans and preparing pilot projects.
Education leaders hope that students will be able to start looking for new options in the coming years.
Baton Rouge Area Council officials were involved in the planning.
Liz Smith, vice president of economic competitiveness at BRAC, said the reform has the added benefit of making better use of technical and community faculties.
“We just know that we really underutilize community colleges here in Louisiana,” said Smith. “We underuse them in many ways and one of them is double enrollment.”
While funding and other obstacles remain, members of a state task force said eligible Louisiana high school students should have access …
Smith acknowledged that high school students can pursue associate degrees today. “What it does is motivate people to really do it,” she said.
“If this will allow more children to have easier access to community college programs, double enrollment credit, it encourages adults to do the right thing for students.”
Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., said the program could have an impact.
“I think the ‘Fast Forward’ program is recognizing what students and companies are demanding in today’s world,” said Hecht. “Students are demanding an education that will lead to a well-paid job and companies are asking for students who have skills ready for work on the first day.
“By blurring the boundaries between a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, the ‘Fast Forward’ initiative should not just help students get a more valuable education more quickly.”
“It must also help our two-year institutions more efficiently and make full use of their resources,” he said.
Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, said the changes will expand access to high school courses that include college credits.
“Dual enrollment has long been perceived as something for smart kids,” said Sullivan. “What” Fast Forward “proposes is an opportunity for all children to have access to post-secondary education while in high school.”
About 160,000 students are enrolled annually in community and technical colleges. Approximately 8,000 are taking dual enrollment courses.
“The last year of high school was almost an afterthought from an academic point of view,” said Sullivan. “It gives students an opportunity to really get involved in that last year and make some progress.”
He added: “A high school diploma will simply not allow you to survive in this country. The new standard in this country is to have some level of skills beyond high school.”