Latest 'Duh' Moment in Education: School Choice Causes Graduation Rates, College Acceptance to Increase
Louisiana's GATOR program, which provides scholarships for private school tuition, has shown positive outcomes in student performance and attendance. Graduation and college enrollment rates among participants are significantly higher than state averages for public school students. The program also reports lower chronic absenteeism, improved student conduct, and higher parent satisfaction.
- ▪The GATOR program in Louisiana provides scholarships covering private school tuition for low-income and at-risk students.
- ▪Students in the GATOR program have a 97.5% graduation rate compared to the public school average of 80%.
- ▪College enrollment among GATOR students is over 81%, compared to 62% for public school students.
- ▪The program spends an average of $7,220 per student, less than the $9,568 spent per public school student.
- ▪Chronic absenteeism dropped to 6.3% in GATOR schools from 20.8% in public schools.
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Latest 'Duh' Moment in Education: School Choice Causes Graduation Rates, College Acceptance to Increase By Becky Noble | 4:57 PM on May 01, 2026 The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com. AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File Americans have known for quite a while that the state of the public education system is dire. Powerful teachers' unions that don't care about educating students, merely indoctrinating them, are at the heart of that dire condition. The fight for school choice has also gone on for quite a while because parents know the outcomes for their kids, when given that choice, will be good ones. Those good outcomes are being realized in Louisiana due to a program aimed at the state's most at-risk students.
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