Tag: College and Career Readiness

New Course Choice Policies Aim to Improve College and Career Readiness in Louisiana

Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, Louisiana students will have greater access to a diverse selection of high-quality courses thanks to a recent legislative change. The passage of a 2024 state law expanded the states Course Choice program, a move designed to provide students with increased educational opportunities beyond those available at their local schools, as per this news release from LDOE. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) presented these policy updates during the Superintendents’ Advisory Council, highlighting the program’s role in supporting career and college readiness while strengthening parental involvement in course selection.

Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley emphasized the significance of these updates, explaining that they not only broaden the academic choices available to families but also ensure that students receive a meaningful high school experience. He praised the state legislature for enhancing the program in a way that aligns financial resources with coursework
that better prepares students for both higher education and the workforce.

Initially launched in June 2012, the Course Choice program provides Louisiana students with the opportunity to enroll in courses beyond those traditionally offered at their schools. This includes access to college and university classes, career and technical education (CTE) programs, and internship opportunities. Schools receive a $70 per-student allocation for students in grades 7-12 to help cover tuition and fees for these courses, as long as they are offered by providers approved by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
(BESE). By expanding course availability, this initiative supports early college credit, careertraining, and helps students stay on track toward graduation.

With the passage of Act 91 during the 2024 Legislative Session, the program has been further refined to reinforce parental choice and expand funding priorities. These adjustments ensure that students can enroll in courses that align with their individual academic and career goals while also prioritizing resources for programs that enhance workforce readiness and academic success. One of the major changes under Act 91 is the refinement of funding priorities. Schools are now required to allocate Course Choice funds to courses that support Louisiana’s emphasis on career and college preparation.

Another major component of the revised Course Choice program is its focus on increasing parental involvement in their child’s academic planning. Under the new policy, parents now have the explicit right to choose courses that align with their child’s academic and career aspirations, provided that the student meets the necessary prerequisites and funding is available.Additionally, schools must ensure that students and their families receive proper guidance when selecting courses to align with graduation pathways and career plans.

To enhance transparency and accessibility, schools are also required to provide clear and comprehensive information about Course Choice opportunities, including details on funding priorities. Parents must be actively consulted before a student is enrolled in a Course Choice class, and schools must obtain written consent to ensure that the selected courses are academically appropriate based on the student’s chosen graduation pathway.

Furthermore, school systems must inform families about the full range of Course Choice options and their right to select a provider that best meets their needs. This ensures that students are enrolled in courses that contribute meaningfully to their academic and professional development.

With these new policy changes, Louisiana is taking significant steps toward expanding educational access and ensuring that all students, regardless of their school’s offerings, have opportunities to pursue rigorous academic coursework and career training. By reinforcing parental choice and strategically allocating funding, the state is better equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need for success beyond high school.

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New Program Launched to Improve College and Career Readiness in Graduates

Soon, Louisiana high school students will be able to earn an associate’s degree or gain meaningful work experience for career readiness through a new high-demand apprenticeship program from the Louisiana Department of Education, as announced in a recent Louisiana Believes press release.

The program, Fast Forward, was developed to actively blur the lines dividing high school, higher education, and the workforce, thus completely redefining the high school experience in an accommodating and versatile way. Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley said of the program, “this bold initiative has the potential to impact the educational landscape in our state for years to come. We must be more deliberate about personalizing high school for our students and preparing them for their next step beyond high school graduation.”

Students entering the program would begin high school in a typical manner by completing grades 9 and 10 on their high school campus while earning their required diploma coursework in the core academic areas like English Language Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Studies, etc. Then, once students pass their sophomore year and are at high school’s halfway point, they will be given the option to spend grades 11 and 12 on a postsecondary campus, a high school post secondary satellite campus, or while fully immersed in a state-recognized pre-apprentice or apprentice program.

Aside from the traditional options offered to students in high school, the Fast Forward initiative would offer up to three pathways to students. The Jump Start 2.0 Associate’s Degree Pathway allows students planning to enter the workforce directly after high school to graduate with an associate’s degree. The TOPS University Associate’s Degree Pathway would allow for college-bound students to earn two years of collegiate credit while in high school. The High-Demand Apprenticeship Pathway would allow students to enter the workforce directly following high school graduation with certification in a high-demand field.

This program will be impactful as recent graduation cohort data showed that only 159 out of 42,650 2019 graduates warned both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, marking this pathway an area in need of improvement.

All three options are clearly advantageous for any high schooler wishing to get the most out of their high school experience, and the pathways already build upon programs and similar diploma tracks that are currently offered in Louisiana schools. Each of the state’s eight regions will have planning grants with funds up to $50,000 awarded to a lead regional secondary school system and its higher education partner in that district. Additionally, the Louisiana Department of Education and the Board of Regents will split the cost of the grants.

Details of the promising Fast Forward initiative for college and career readiness were first shared during the December 2020 joint meeting of theLouisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and Regents, with the initiative receiving support from both boards, and that support comes as little surprise. This is due to the fact that much national attention has been garnered for the effort put forward by the Board of Regents, BESE, the Dual Enrollment Task Force, andLouisiana legislature to enhance pathway opportunities to improve career and college readiness in the state.

The State Commissioner of Higher Education, Dr. Kim Hunter Reed said of the program, “this pilot puts into action the joint goal adopted by BESE and Regents in 2019—for all freshmen, beginning with the entering class of 2025, to graduate with some college credit or a market-relevant credential. We must attract more students to our campuses if we want our state’s attainment level to improve and one of the easiest ways to do that is to embed college experiences into high school.”

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