Louisiana Department of Education

10/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/30/2024 12:06

LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE EXCEEDS 83 PERCENT

LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE EXCEEDS 83 PERCENT

Oct 30, 2024
Students with disabilities earn 1.6 point improvement

(BATON ROUGE, LA) - The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released graduation data today for the 2022-2023 school year. The state's overall cohort graduation rate increased and is now above 83%. The 2022-2023 cohort graduation rate is 83.2%, up from 82.7% the previous year.

"I'm appreciative of every educator and parent for helping more students reach this important milestone," said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. "Even as we recognize this upward trend, we must remain focused on our true goal of ensuring all students graduate ready for a career, college, or service. I look forward to our continued work of adding increased value to a Louisiana diploma."

The graduation rate for students with disabilities is up 1.6 points to 77.7%. This is the latest data showing academic progress for students with disabilities. The overall academic proficiency rate for students with disabilities has also improved three years in a row.

Louisiana has worked alongside stakeholders to engage in a number of continuous improvements for students with disabilities. These include:

  • Developing the Special Education Playbook for System Leaders, a resource based on research and the experiences of schools that have successfully narrowed the learning gap and accelerated academic outcomes for students with disabilities
  • Enhancing family support and improved dispute resolution by hiring Louisiana's first special education ombudsman
  • Increasing school and system support through on-site technical assistance and professional learning
  • Increasing funding for family support agencies
  • Working alongside independent reviewers to improve outdated special education practices and policies

Overall, there were 40,930 Louisiana high school graduates in 2022-2023. That number is up from 2021-2022 when there were 40,648 graduates.

In June, Louisiana approved a revised accountability system that sets higher expectations for students, schools, and systems. Set to launch in 2025-2026, the revised system places an emphasis on core academic content and meaningful career and college preparation. It also honors schools for offering more work-based learning opportunities.

Cohort Graduation Rate Data

Additional cohort graduation rate data is available on the LDOE website.

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