Plan for new La. high school diploma has momentum

A plan to create a new public school curriculum and diploma has strong momentum in the Legislature, as lawmakers look for ways to increase the number of Louisiana students who graduate high school. The House Education Committee today unanimously approved the bill by Sen. Robert Kostelka, R-Monroe, which would give low-performing students the option of concentrating their studies on trades such as carpentry or auto repair. To keep the teenagers in school, Kostelka wants to give those students an easier path through the state’s “high-stakes” standardized testing. Kostelka cited new dropout statistics, saying just 52% of seventh-graders ultimately get high school diplomas. The state Department of Education usually relies on statistics tracking ninth-graders, which show 66% of those students getting diplomas. Opponents of Kostelka’s measure include business groups and education Superintendent Paul Pastorek, who told the committee that Louisiana has seen progress in the percentage of students who graduate. Pastorek cited a report from Education Week magazine, released today, that found Louisiana’s graduation rate improved from 54% to 62% from 1996 to 2006, the sixth-highest percentage gain among states. Despite Pastorek’s objections, lawmakers in both chambers have given strong support to the Kostelka bill and an identical measure by Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro. Under the bills, students 15 and older could leave the standard curriculum and instead take a “career track” if they have parental approval. Requirements for graduation would be less oriented toward college preparation.