BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Superintendent of Education John White’s proposal for overhauling Louisiana’s career-track diploma would focus on certifying job skills for high school students who don’t intend to go to a four-year college.
White described the details Wednesday. He’ll ask the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to adopt the proposal next week, with an eye toward full implementation by the 2016-17 school year.
High school students who seek a career-track diploma would be required to get an industry-based certification or credentials earned through dual-enrollment coursework at a technical school in order to graduate and earn their diploma.
The plan, called “Jump Start,” would involve regional coordination with community and technical colleges and industry leaders and would include apprenticeships and internships for students.
White said the program would help students who aren’t bound for four-year colleges get better preparation for the workforce, by giving them skills certifications that could steer them to jobs. Students could become certified electricians, welders or machinists or get training for a specialized job at a manufacturing plant, for example.
“It is time to end the stigma against career education,” he said in a conference call, outlining the recommendations. “This is a step toward creating opportunity for our kids.”
White said a diploma should signal whether students are ready to enter college or to work in a specific industry. The education department has been working on the career diploma revamp for a year, traveling the state to gather ideas.
The first students to receive the new diploma would graduate in 2018.
For students seeking a career-track diploma, more time would be set aside during the junior and senior years for skills training that leads to industry-based certifications or for courses that lead to credits from local community and technical colleges.
Students on a path to a four-year university also would be able to take “Jump Start” courses as electives, outside of the courses that are required for them to reach the college-track diploma.
The options offered in high schools would vary by region, decided in coordination between school systems, nearby technical and community colleges, local industry and area economic development officials.
New dollars for career education courses would flow to school districts to help cover costs. Grants would be offered this year to encourage school districts to start phasing in the program earlier than required.
“It is more expensive to teach a kid to weld than it is to teach them Shakespeare,” White said.
If BESE approves the proposal next week, White said he’ll ask lawmakers to make some adjustments to the state law governing the career diploma.
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