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Bel Air Magnet High principal highlights student gains, career pathways and Promise Lab
Summary
Bel Air Magnet High School principal Damian Gordon presented school performance gains, CTE pathways, a Promise Lab partnership and the school's 50th-anniversary plans at the Jan. 9 committee of the whole meeting.
Damian Gordon, principal of Bel Air Magnet High School, told the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Jan. 9 that the school’s student population had grown slightly and that its School Performance Score (SPS) rose three points from the prior year.
Gordon credited gains in ACT WorkKeys performance and Career and Technical Education (CTE) credentialing for the improvement, saying students earned 69 industry credentials (IBCs) in the fall semester. He described Bel Air’s on-site career pathways — including arts and communication, business management, engineering and robotics, construction and carpentry, and hospitality and tourism — and said roughly 27% of students who took the WorkKeys scored at the silver level or above.
Gordon highlighted the Promise Lab, a partnership with state Representative Vanessa LaFleur and Dr. James Gilmore from the Institute of Human Development, serving a cohort of about 60 ninth- and tenth-grade students. He said the Promise Lab focuses on cultural intelligence, professionalism, communication, financial literacy, critical thinking and civic engagement.
Board members asked about freshmen-on-track data and community partnerships for internships. Gordon said the school is compiling freshmen-on-track data and running grade-level “kid talks,” and that many partnerships and internships are coordinated through the district CTE (Career and Technical Education) program. Board members and others praised the school’s JROTC program, arts programs and community service activities. Gordon invited the board to Bel Air’s 50th-anniversary gala and alumni hall of fame induction scheduled for April 11 at the Renaissance Hotel, 7000 Bluebonnet Boulevard.
Board members offered support and asked the district to continue helping Bel Air address cohort tracking and student retention. Several members encouraged board participation in school mentorship through the house system Gordon described.
