ENROLLED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 34
BY REPRESENTATIVES MCKNIGHT AND GAROFALO
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the state Department of Education, the Louisiana Workforce
Commission, and the Board of Regents, in consultation with the Louisiana School
Boards Association, to jointly prepare and submit a report to the House Committee
on Education not later than December 31, 2020, relative to the status of data sharing
agreements and related efforts underway to obtain and analyze data needed for
evaluation of the Jump Start program.
WHEREAS, in 2014, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
(BESE) established the Jump Start program to support high school students in earning
industry-based certifications and credentials aligned with high-growth, high-wage job sectors
as approved by Louisiana's Workforce Investment Council; and
WHEREAS, Jump Start training pathways and related programming prepare students
to successfully transition to the workplace while also enabling them to continue their
postsecondary training and education and career development; and
WHEREAS, BESE currently recognizes regional/emerging, basic, and advanced
Jump Start training pathways in eleven key industry sectors, including agriculture, food, and
natural resources; architecture and construction; arts, audiovisual technology, and
communication; business management and administration; health sciences; hospitality and
tourism; human services; information technology; law, public safety, corrections, and
security; manufacturing; and transportation, distribution, and logistics; and
WHEREAS, BESE and the legislature have made significant financial investments
in the Jump Start program through the Minimum Foundation Program, including the
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Supplemental Course Allocation, Career Development Funds, and weighted funding for
career and technical education courses; and
WHEREAS, program evaluation that includes careful analysis of outcome data is
essential in determining whether public policies are achieving their intended goals and
objectives; and
WHEREAS, evaluation and continuous improvement of the Jump Start program
requires knowledge of whether or not students have been able to secure employment in the
field in which they trained or have continued to pursue advanced training in the same
industry; and
WHEREAS, this information is not available without data sharing agreements
between Louisiana's local education agencies and the state Department of Education, the
Louisiana Workforce Commission, and the Board of Regents; and
WHEREAS, representatives from the state Department of Education, the Louisiana
Workforce Commission, and the Louisiana School Boards Association testified during the
House Committee on Education meeting held May 13, 2020, that such agreements can and
will be pursued in a cooperative manner in order to perform the analysis necessary for
evaluation of the Jump Start program.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the state Department of Education,
the Louisiana Workforce Commission, and the Board of Regents, in consultation with the
Louisiana School Boards Association, to jointly prepare and submit a report to the House
Committee on Education not later than December 31, 2020, relative to the status of data
sharing agreements and related efforts underway to obtain and analyze data needed for
evaluation of the Jump Start program.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such data shall include, at minimum, the
following relative to Jump Start graduates and the industry-based certifications or credentials
earned through the Jump Start program: which specific industry-based certifications and
credentials are being earned; whether or not the students enter a public postsecondary
education institution pursuing a degree, certification, or credential related to such
certifications or credentials; and whether or not they enter the workforce in an occupation
related to such certifications or credentials.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such report should outline any legal or
operational challenges that may require legislative remedies to obtain and analyze the data
needed to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the Jump Start program and any
recommendations to address such challenges.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
state superintendent of education, the secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the
commissioner of higher education, and the executive director of the Louisiana School
Boards Association.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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