More On Louisiana Schools

According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, 38% of the high school seniors in Louisiana fail to graduate with a regular high school diploma. According to the same group, only 51% of African Americans in Louisiana graduate. That’s a low number, a number that the state is not, and should not, be proud of. So what is the state legislature and Gov. Bobby Jindal’s solution to this problem? Lowering the graduation standards for students who feel they can’t graduate with the normal standards if they get their parent’s consent and placing them on a career track designed to get them into the state’s community colleges and technical schools, but not 4-year colleges.

According to Gov. Jindal those students will be trained for blue collar jobs instead as an effort to retain them in school, and build Louisiana’s economy at the same time. I don’t disagree with that. The state’s legislature agreed with him passing a law, through broad bi-partisan support, that will enable students who cannot pass the basic requirements for English and Math at the end of their 8th grade year, to bypass those requirements and go to high school on a “career track” that includes overall lower standards. While I, personally, am not a fan of using standardized tests to determine the quality of education from grade to grade year to year, I also disagree with allowing some students to skip the test while requiring others to participate. Exempting certain students who may struggle through the test and then placing them in a special program that results in what is essentially a “lesser” degree is not the answer.

Blue collar jobs are essential in America, but those who work them are no less capable of graduating from high school than others if they have the proper support. There are plenty who disagree with me and feel there are some students out there who are simply incapable of graduating from high school without having the standards lowered for them, but I refuse to believe that it is impossible. There are a lot of students out there who won’t go to college because that’s their choice, but they shouldn’t be making that decision at the age of 15. Most students probably don’t even start considering which colleges they want to go to or if they want to go until their Junior year of high school. Personally, I didn’t narrow my choice down until I was in my Senior year.

To be fair, the actual bill does seem to replace the classes they wouldn't be taking with "comparable" classes in the community colleges and technical schools where the kids will be going instead. It really largely depends on what those schools consider "comparable" to English that can be tied to the career. Somehow I don't think the classes will be all that comparable. Here are the requirements:

(2) The course requirements for the career major shall consist of the following:

(a) At least four English credits in courses with content equal to that of college preparatory English, including English I, English II, and two additional courses comparable or identical to English courses offered by the Louisiana Technical College, as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

(b) At least three four mathematics credits, not fewer than two courses of which have content equal to that of college preparatory mathematics including Algebra I, Algebra I PartOne and Algebra I Part Two, or an applied or hybrid Algebra course, and additional applied or hybrid mathematics courses comparable or identical to courses offered by the Louisiana Technical College as needed to fulfill the mathematics course requirements as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

(c) At least three science credits, not fewer than two courses of which have content equal to that of college preparatory science including one unit of Biology and two additional courses selected from a list of science courses related to the student's chosen career major as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

(d) At least three social studies credits, not fewer than two courses of which shall have content equal to that of college preparatory social studies including one unit of American History and one additional course selected from a list of social studies courses approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Each student shall successfully complete a course in free enterprise Free Enterprise, as provided in R.S. 17:274, and civics Civics, as provided in R.S.
17:274.1.

(e) At least two credits in health Health and physical education Physical Education.

(f) At least six or more seven credits consisting of four credits in an area of concentration and two related credits, including one credit in a computer technology course in career and technical education courses with end-of-course testing as appropriate and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, including at least one-half credit in a career readiness course and one credit in a computer applications course. Courses shall be selected to prepare a student for postsecondary education or a career.

(g) Additional electives or career and technical education courses required by the city, parish, or other local public school board as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The words or phrases with the strikethrough are things that were in the old law that they took out of the new law, what follows the strikethrough is what was added in its place. The question is, how close to the actual classes in the high school will the "comparable" schools be.

Also, in the interest of being fair, the student and the parents will have to go through some counseling before making the decision.

Vocational programs at schools are a good thing, students should have the ability to prepare for a career straight out of high school if that is what they are going to do. But vocational programs can be successful without lowering the standard requirements. Simply because someone is going to work a blue collar job instead of a white collar job does not mean they shouldn’t be able to pass the basic requirements necessary to get a high school diploma.

During the 2008 general election campaign President Obama was the only candidate that was talking about education. When he talked about education he laid out specific goals for what is necessary to help a child be successful and graduate. About a week ago President Obama had
this to say:

“We will use the best evidence available to determine whether a state can meet a few key benchmarks for reform -- and states that outperform the rest will be rewarded with a grant. Not every state will win and not every school district will be happy with the results. But America's children, America's economy, and America itself will be better for it.
And one of the benchmarks we will use is whether states are designing and enforcing higher and clearer standards and assessments that prepare a student to graduate from college and succeed in life. Right now, some states like Massachusetts are setting high standards, but many others are not. Many others are low-balling expectations for students -- telling our kids they're prepared to move on to the next grade even if they aren't; awarding diplomas even if a graduate doesn't have the knowledge and skills to thrive in our economy.
That's a recipe for economic decline, and it has to stop.

I agree Mr. President.

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