The new curriculum will bring rigor and relevance to high schools throughout the state. Because grasping math concepts are such a strong indicator of success in both college and the workforce, all students will be required to take an extra unit of math, increasing graduation requirements from the current 23 units to 24 units. Where LA Core 4 differs most from the current degree plan is alignment of each student’s course of study to his or her career and educational goals. Students will even be able to earn academic or career/technical endorsements to their diploma, giving them added distinction in job interviews and on college applications.

End-of-Course (EOC) testing has been designed to build on the accountability and standards set by the current Graduate Exit Exams (GEE) by more accurately aligning with Louisiana’s Comprehensive Curriculum. Just as the name suggests, EOC testing will occur immediately following the completion of eight core subjects (compared to testing four subjects at the end of sophomore and junior years as is currently the case with GEE). These tests will be phased in over the next four years in order for teachers and administrators to become comfortable with this new testing process before the full program is instituted.

Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) – JAG is a nationally recognized program to address students who are at risk of dropping out of school. Students participating in this program are mentored toward earning a diploma or a GED, a Work-Ready Certificate, a marketable skill, and work experience. Louisiana currently operates 40 JAG programs in 22 parishes, all with exceptional results (Job placements from the program are between 92 percent and 94 percent).

Career Readiness Certification and GED – The existing PreGED/Skills Options Program is not achieving results, with approximately five percent of enrolled students receiving a GED. If students elect to leave the high school pathway to pursue a GED pathway, the student must pursue a National Work-Ready Certification Program and GED.

Quality Alternative Education – In order to achieve High Value High Schools, wemust include high quality programs for suspended and expelled students to ensure that those who probably need the most attention aren’t left without options to succeed.

Raising graduation rates is only relevant if the education students are receiving is of a high quality. There must be consistency among high school experiences across the state so that every diploma issued throughout the state indicates a student’s college or career readiness. A Louisiana high school diploma should serve as a clear message to both colleges and businesses that Louisiana graduates have the skills to be successful.

No two students are exactly alike, so High Value High Schools must be flexible in offering several pathways for students to succeed. Whether students want to go a four-year college or university, community college, technical school or if they want to enter the workforce directly after high school, each student must be offered a course of study that adequately prepares them for the next step of their lives.

High schools need to be able to expect that students entering the ninth grade will be ready to learn at the high school level. Applying full accountability to high schools for achievement and graduation must be coupled with efforts to improve students’ readiness for the ninth grade. Partnering with middle schools, high schools must set standards of readiness for eighth graders and assess whether they are meeting these standards in order to identify at-risk students early. When students are behind, intensive academic help in reading and math must be provided before they begin the ninth grade. High schools and middle schools should be rewarded when they’re successful in devising programs that help at-risk students find success in the ninth grade.

As students prepare to enter the final year of high school, we must constantly evaluate their progress to ensure they can succeed on the next level once they graduate. For those students in danger of graduating without the appropriate skills, intervention strategies such as senior-year supplemental activities, coursework and tutorials should be used to ensure students will be prepared for college or a career. For those juniors who are behind but still plan to attend college, schools should provide additional reading, writing and mathematics training to ensure college readiness. For those students planning to enter the workforce after graduation, core academic work should be supplemented with career concentration and employer certification programs.

These courses must be more closely aligned with current college and career readiness and professional standards for the fields of study offered. Teachers will be assisted in preparing course syllabi, developing authentic problems and projects and creating a repository of these for all schools to share.

This could include passing a state board-approved, industry-specific certification exam. The state would set the criteria for approving these certification exams.