The Baton Rouge Area Chamber released its annual education and talent report this morning, analyzing public education performance in the Capital Region for the 2017-2018 school year.
This year, BRAC expanded its analysis beyond the K-12 system, to look at statistics from early childhood to post-secondary attainment. Key takeaways from the review are:
- The region’s enrollment has reached 125,484 students, the highest since the inception of BRAC’s report, with over 19,000 students participating in schools of choice through magnet programs and charter schools
- Three Capital Region districts ranked among the top five districts in the state, with Zachary remaining the best school system in Louisiana.
- Seventy-five percent of the Capital Region’s early childcare centers earned an overall rating of proficient or higher.
- The region is preparing more students than ever for college and careers, with 78% of high school seniors graduating on time.
- Sixteen percent of those graduating seniors earned a total of 675 Industry Based Credentials along with their Jump Start diplomas.
- Average ACT scores in the region continue to hover around 18, performing relatively close to the peer MSAs of Columbia, South Carolina, and Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Generally, district performance scores across the region dipped.
- Regionally, 69% of 8th grade students are not proficient in math.
- Only 49% of 4th graders in the region are proficient in English Language Arts.
- Just 39% of the Capital Region’s adults hold an associate’s degree or higher.
Read the full report from BRAC.
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