OUR APPROACH:
Stakeholder Council

Workgroups

1. Bridging the Skills Gap
2. Early Childhood Education
3. Preparing Students to Graduate

1. Bridging the Skills Gap

Connect school to the future outcome of students’ careers and professions

• Identifying best practice policies and develop potential strategies for improvement of Career and Technical Education in Louisiana.
• Developing recommendations to align education with state and regional economic development priorities and strategies.
• Providing employer/community perspective in high school curriculum redesign.
• Connecting students to technology by giving students access to 21st century technology to effectively advance learning and develop skills needed for post-secondary and/or workplace success. (top of page)

2. Early Childhood Education

Brain research and economic development studies support quality early childhood education for all children.

• Develop a Louisiana definition of “school readiness”.
• Develop an early childhood education policy regarding school readiness “expectations” upon kindergarten entry for all children.
• Develop a plan for high-quality early childhood pathways and experiences to ensure that every child is school ready. The school readiness plan will address statewide collaboration and coordination issues among pre-kindergarten, early learning, and childcare services to achieve effectiveness in program delivery.
• Develop a system to address the needs of children who do not meet school readiness indicators. (top of page)

3. Preparing Students to Graduate

Plugging the major leak in the Louisiana Education Pipeline

• Identify best practice policies and programs for reducing student absences at the school and district levels.
• Develop implementation strategies for adolescent literacy (Literacy for All).
• Develop recommendations for a comprehensive Early Warning System and appropriate interventions in late elementary, middle, and high school for students who are identified as at-risk of not finishing high school.
• Evaluate the results of Louisiana DOE pilots (Lighthouse and 9th Grade Bridge program) to identify successful school strategies for larger scale implementation.
• Identify best practice strategies based on the school wide positive behavior support program of the Louisiana DOE.
• Develop recommendations for “alternative education” policies and programs to serve the needs of students that do not perform well in traditional school settings.

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