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.

Louisiana students achieve highest statewide school performance score under current system

(BATON ROUGE, LA) - The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released 2024 performance scores for the state’s public schools and systems today. The results show the statewide school performance score has increased for the third consecutive year, as Louisiana students achieved the highest score under the current 150-point system. Louisiana’s 2024 statewide school performance score improved by nearly two points. The 2024 statewide score is 80.2, a 1.7 point increase from 2023 when the statewide score was 78.5. These results come one year after Louisiana students exceeded the pre-pandemic performance score.

“Louisiana students continue to make progress. A third consecutive year of growth is a testament to the many talented educators across our state and the student-first commitment from Governor Landry, the legislature, and our board,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley.

This is the latest data to show Louisiana students are maintaining and accelerating academic gains made since the pandemic.

Louisiana has achieved its highest national rankings ever, moving from 46th to 40th on the U.S. News & World Report Best States ranking.
Louisiana's 4th graders led the country in reading growth and economically disadvantaged 4th graders improved from 42nd to 11th in reading on The Nation’s Report Card.
Louisiana is one of three states where average reading achievement in 2023 was above 2019 levels.
Louisiana ranked at the top of a national list recognizing states for adopting a comprehensive early literacy policy to provide students with the foundational reading skills to learn, graduate, and succeed.
Louisiana’s most recent cohort graduation rate increased.
Louisiana maintained LEAP gains made over the past two years on the most recent state assessments.
Louisiana students in grades K-3 improved their reading scores by 10 percentage points on the state’s first universal literacy screener.

Since 1999, the state has issued school performance scores for public schools, which are based on student achievement data. To clearly communicate the quality of school performance to families and the public, Louisiana adopted letter grades (A-F). All schools with sufficient data receive school performance scores.

Early Childhood Profiles
The LDOE also released 2024 Early Childhood Performance Profiles today. Each publicly-funded child care, Early Head Start/Head Start, and school-based program serving children birth to five in Louisiana receives a performance profile that includes a rating based on rigorous classroom observations. Each network of providers within a community also receives a performance profile.

The latest early childhood data reveals a 5.49 statewide performance rating, indicating a 0.07 increase from 2022-2023. More than 95% of early childhood sites are rated Proficient or higher, with 91% of school districts rated as High Proficient or Excellent. All observation domain scores increased, in particular Engaged Support for Learning, across all site types.

###