Expanding Education Options for All Students

LOUISIANA SCHOOL CHOICE

School Choice Options for Louisiana Students

Expanding educational choice for student and families is one of Louisiana's Education Priorities. Parents are their child’s first and foremost teachers, and are in control of their child’s education. Families should have the freedom to choose the educational setting that best meets their needs. That’s why we are committed to school choice options, from high-quality traditional public schools to public charters, non-public schools, and home-study programs. No child should be limited by their zip code.

School Choice

LA GATOR Scholarship Program Charter Schools BESE-Approved Nonpublic Schools Nonpublic Schools Not Seeking State Approval BESE-Approved Home Study Program Louisiana Scholarship Program School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities Tuition Donation Credit Program

School Choice in Louisiana

These are some of the options families in Louisiana have when choosing the best education environment for their child. Click on the links at the top of this page to learn more and access resources for families, educators, and system leaders.

Traditional Public Schools

Public schools serve local communities and are open to all students. They follow state-approved curriculum standards and are funded by taxpayer dollars to ensure a well-rounded, accessible education.

Charter Schools

Charter schools offer innovative approaches to education and greater flexibility in curriculum and teaching methods. They’re publicly funded and open to all students, with accountability to state standards and school performance.

Nonpublic Schools

Approved nonpublic schools offer families a private school option that meets specific state requirements. They may provide unique curricula, faith-based programs, or specialized instruction to fit family preferences.

Nonpublic Schools Not Seeking State Approval

These private schools operate independently without state oversight. They offer more freedom in curriculum design, though they aren’t required to meet state standards or performance reporting.

Home Study

The home study option allows families to develop a personalized education experience at home. It’s a flexible, parent-led program with state registration available to meet certain criteria and access select state resources.

BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) today unanimously approved the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) new K-12 Student Standards for Social Studies.

“These standards reflect the totality of the events that have made America a truly exceptional nation and serve as a freedom framework for our children to learn about how Americans have always strived for liberty,” said Dr. Cade Brumley, State Superintendent of Education. “We must, and we shall, teach our students to appreciate the majesty of our country and their obligations as citizens to safeguard America’s founding principles.”

Over the past two months, the LDOE has worked across multiple teams to uphold the original revision goals while addressing concerns made evident in over 2,000 public comments.

“These standards were informed by a year of public feedback, demonstrating why an engaged, informed citizenry is essential to protecting, sustaining, and improving upon our constitutional republic,” said Brumley. “I look forward to seeing these standards come to life in classrooms across our state and, ultimately, recognizing the influence these standards will have on the State of Louisiana and the United States of America.”

The goals of the LDOE’s revision process were to shift the standards toward an approach that balances the acquisition of disciplinary skills along with content knowledge in of each of social studies’ core disciplines: history, civics, economics, and geography. Furthermore, the revised standards create a more coherent sequence of content, to strengthen knowledge and skills at the elementary level, to ensure students are prepared for secondary and postsecondary work, and to better integrate the historical perspectives of people from different backgrounds.

Grades/Courses

Kindergarten: Life in My Home, School, and Local Community

Grade 1: Life in the Great State of Louisiana

Grade 2: Life in Our Great Country, The United States of America

Grade 3: The American Story: People, Places, and Papers

Grade 4: The Ancient World

Grade 5: The Medieval Period to the Early Modern World

Grade 6: The United States and Louisiana: Beginnings Through Ratification

Grade 7: The United States and Louisiana: The Early Republic Through Reconstruction

Grade 8: The United States and Louisiana: Industrial Age Through The Modern Era

High School: Civics

High School: United States History

High School: World History

High School: World Geography

The LDOE will announce an official implementation timeline in the coming weeks.

For more information, please reach out to Matthew.Johnson2@la.gov.

####