What are the educational gaps or weaknesses in our district?

If I have to pick one to improve, that is College Application Counselling

Drawing from our district goals and feedback from recent graduates, two critical areas stand out:

1. Engagement with College Admission Offices

Our District Goal, specifically under *Leadership and Governance*, has emphasized the need to "Consult with deans in higher education admissions to provide input on LPS post-secondary counseling practices, including LHS School Profile and LHS student applications." Disturbingly, this is the *second consecutive year* this item features in our goals, signaling a persistent challenge in college counseling.

Let's consider some telling data: the average GPA of our students has risen from 3.9 in 2017 to 4.17 in 2022. Yet, the acceptance rate has decreased from 45% in 2017 to 34% in 2022. This indicates that while our students are performing better academically, they aren't necessarily reaping the benefits in terms of college acceptances. As a school district, it's imperative we forge stronger ties with college admission offices, ensuring our students' efforts translate into tangible outcomes.

2. Personalized College Counseling:

The voice of our graduates offers valuable insight. From the Class of 2022, they've highlighted the value of:

- Individual meetings with school and college counselors

- College counseling workshops

- Naviance

- College visits

However, they've also suggested there's room for improvement, particularly in:

- Providing even more one-on-one counseling opportunities

- Increasing the publicity for our programs and workshops

These feedback points from our graduates are not just statistics or comments; they're an urgent plea. As members of the Board of Education, it's our duty to act, ensuring that our response isn't just effective but also timely.