Inside Report for Oct. 13, 2009

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Oct 13, 2009 - Page: 9B

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About the only time that state policymakers talk about high school students earning early college credit is when Louisiana shows up near the bottom of another ranking.

It happened again last week.

The state was listed in a tie for last place among Southern states in the percentage of  high school seniors who earned early college credit.

Only 4 percent of students did so in 2008. The figure was 2 percent in 2003, according to the Southern Regional Education Board.

Both the national and regional averages are now 15 percent. Louisiana is lumped with Mississippi for the bottom of the Southern region.

In addition, Louisiana was ranked 50th in the nation on the issue a few years ago.

Why so low?

Put simply, no one in a position of leadership has made the issue his issue.

No legislators. No members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. No good-government groups.

The topic rarely comes up in meetings of the state’s top school board. It is just as rare in meetings of the state House and Senate education committees.

The tests are called Advanced Placement exams. Scores range from a low of 1 to a high of 5.

Students can earn early college credit by taking the rigorous AP classes and scoring well on subsequent AP tests. Some high school seniors earn so much credit that they start college as sophomores or higher.

That benefits students in lots of ways, including money savings.