Dropout rate raised

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 9, 2009 - Page: 1A

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Louisiana’s public school dropout rate is nearly 50 percent rather than the roughly 33 percent that is usually reported, lawmakers said Monday.

The figures are included in a new state report requested by two lawmakers who are pushing bills to reduce high school dropouts.

“We think this study should be considered a wake-up call for our state,” said state Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro and chief sponsor of one of the bills.

Fannin said the figures show the dropout problem is even worse than thought and point out the need for a new curriculum to keep students in high school.

State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek questioned the significance of the new dropout numbers.

About 180,000 students attend public high schools in Louisiana.

Roughly one in three ninth-graders fails to graduate on time four years later, according to figures developed by the state Department of Education.

But Fannin said that, when students are studied from grades seven through 12, the dropout figures are even bleaker.

The state report shows that 46 percent of those students failed to graduate on time from high school in 2007-08 and 48 percent in the prior school year.

That means about 24,000 students in grades 7-12 dropped out in 2007 rather than the 16,000 in grades 9-12 cited by educators, lawmakers said.

“This is a tragedy,” said Sen. Bob Kostelka, R-Monroe and chief sponsor of the Senate dropout bill.

Both lawmakers said the figures also point out the need for their legislation.

“We have to try something new,” Kostelka said.