Louisiana Teaching Certification
Louisiana Ed. Statistics
| Avg. Elem. Teacher Salary* | $48,630 |
| Avg. Sec. Teacher Salary* | $52,090 |
| Avg. Admin. Salary* | $66,670 |
| Teacher Retention (?) | 94% |
| Vacation Wks/Yr | 15 |
Learn how to become a teacher in Louisiana (or administrator). Choose the description of certification you are most interested in or situation that best describes you:
- Initial Teaching Certification…
- I’m a teacher from another state…
- Teacher Certification Renewal…
- Admin./Principal Certification…
- Alternative Teaching Certification…
- Substitute Teaching Permit…
- None of the above are what I’m looking for…
Getting Involved…
Investing in our future is vitally important and strangely difficult. In order to fight oppression from the greedy and power-hungry elite, to better our ways of life with advancing technology, and to increase our country’s overall views toward the concept of acceptance, we need education to be a priority. Learn how you can be a spoke in this terribly important wheel. See how Louisiana measures up to the rest of the country by viewing the percentage of state revenue going toward education in each state. (see State Education Spending vs. Overall State Revenue).
Learn About Your Governor’s Track Record
Learn about your Governor’s views and voting record with regard to education. (see Louisiana Governor’s website).
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Hold your public servants accountable. It is our duty as residents of Alabama.
Help Make Education A Priority
Initial Louisiana Teaching Certification
Louisiana’s public school systems are showing a commitment to integrating education with hands-on exposure to applied science and civic involvement. The Tangipahoa Parish School System has recently submitted a request for court approval to build an agriscience facility that will house a variety of animals. The facility will serve the Ponchatoula High School agriscience program, allowing students the ability to gain real-world experience in animal laboratory science activities.
The project will include a space allocated for gardening to support the study of agriculture, with the vegetables produced being donated to local food banks and homeless shelters. The food production program is modeled after similar programs piloted by two Louisiana elementary schools in which community gardens have been established to provide students and their families with fresh produce. Find schools offering teaching certification programs in Louisiana.
Education Requirements
Sponsored School(s)
The Louisiana Department of Education Division of Certification, Preparation & Recruitment (877-453-2721) expects its teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree, at minimum, awarded by an approved teacher preparation program in the state.
If you graduate from a teacher preparation program at a school in another state, Louisiana will accept the program given that your school is regionally accredited by one of the accreditation agencies listed here.
If you graduate from a teacher preparation program in another country, your academic credentials must be evaluated by one of the following foreign credential evaluation agencies:
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
One Dupont Circle, NW
Suite #520
Washington, D.C. 20036-1135
202-296-3359 - World Education Services (WES)
Bowling Green Station
P.O. Box 5087
New York, NY 10274-5087
212-966-6311
Certification Options
The Louisiana Department of Education offers three different types of teacher certifications based upon your qualifications:
- Level 1 Professional Certificate: This is the type of certificate you normally obtain as an initial teaching certificate in Louisiana when you graduate with a bachelor’s degree from a state-approved teacher education program. It is valid for three years.
- Level 2 Professional Certificate: To obtain this type of certificate, you must have a Level 1 Certificate, pass the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program, and teach in your certification area for at least two years. This certificate is valid for five years.
- Level 3 Professional Certificate: To obtain this type of certificate, you must have a Level 1 or Level 2 Certificate and complete a master’s degree program from a regionally accredited institution, teach for five years in your certification area, and pass the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program.
Examinations
For a synopsis of Louisiana’s examination requirements for teachers, go to the Praxis website.
Basic skills testing:
All teachers in Louisiana must pass the Praxis I Basic Skills Tests in reading, writing, and mathematics. You must obtain a score of 176 in Reading, 175 in Writing, and 175 in Math to pass. You may be exempt from part or all of the Praxis I if you took the following exams and received the corresponding scores:
- ACT: Composite score of 22 waives Praxis I
- SAT: Combined verbal and math score of 1030 waives Praxis I
- Possession of a master’s degree prior to entering an alternative certification program waives Praxis I
Content area assessment testing:
You must pass content and pedagogy Praxis II exams to become certified in the subject(s) in which you wish to teach. Possible certification areas in Louisiana include:
- Early Childhood (Grades PK-3)
- Elementary Education (Grades 1-5)
- Middle School Education (Grades 4-8):
- English/Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Secondary Education (Grades 6-12):
- Biology
- Chemistry
- English
- General Science
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Social Studies
- Speech
- All Grades (Grades K-12):
- Art
- Music
- Health & Physical Education
- World Languages:
- French (Grades K-12 or 6-12)
- German (Grades K-12 or 6-12)
- Spanish (Grades K-12 or 6-12)
- Special Education:
- Early Interventionist (Birth-5 years)
- Hearing Impaired (Grades K-12)
- Mild/Moderate Disabilities (Grades 1-12)
- General/Special Education: Mild/Moderate Disabilities (Grades 1-5, 4-8 or 6-12)
- Significant Disabilities (Grades 1-12)
- Visual Impairments/Blind (Grades K-12)
- Vocational Education (Grades 7-12):
- Agriculture
- Business Education
- Family and Consumer Sciences
- Technology Education
Experience Requirements
In order to meet the criteria for Level 1 Professional Teaching Certification, you do not need any classroom teaching experience beyond your college’s mandatory practicum and your student teaching internship that follows. All approved teacher preparation programs in Louisiana that lead to a Level 1 Professional Teaching Certificate require students to fulfill the requisite classroom student teaching experience.
You may be asked to prepare and apply lesson plans, lead the class, and assist the classroom teacher in various day-to-day duties during your student teaching internship. At its conclusion, your performance will be assessed by your mentoring classroom teacher and/or university/college representatives before you are allowed to move forward with the certification process.
Document and Application Requirements
After fulfilling all education, examination, and experience requirements, you are ready to apply for Level 1 Professional Teaching Certification in Louisiana. Your teacher preparation program’s certification official will provide you with the correct application packet to use. Along with your application, you must submit the following information:
- Official, sealed college transcripts
- Original Praxis score reports
- Application fee of $50 payable to the Louisiana Department of Education
- Completed Professional Conduct Form (found in application packet)
On all correspondence mailed to the certification department, include the following:
- Your full name and date of birth
- Your social security number
- Your email address
- Your mailing address
- Your telephone number
Send all applications and documentation to: Louisiana Department of Education, Attention: Certification, P. O. Box 94064, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9064.
You should receive notification from the Certification Division within 10 to 15 days of their receipt of your application and all materials. You may check the status of your application at any time by clicking here.
Criminal History Background Check
You do not have to undergo a criminal history background check for Louisiana teacher certification; however, before a Louisiana school district will hire you, you must submit to a criminal history background check. Because of the Louisiana Child Protection Act of 1995, all Louisiana teachers must undergo both state and federal (FBI) criminal background checks. This entails submitting fingerprints. For more information on criminal background checks in Louisiana, contact the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, P.O. Box 66614, A-6,
Baton Rouge, LA 70896 – 6614 or phone them at 225-925-6095.
Contact Information
Contact Louisiana state-approved teacher preparation program providers for more information on their programs.
Contact the Certification Division of the Louisiana Department of Education at 1-877-453-2721 or [email protected] for more information on teacher certification in Louisiana.
*2019 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data – Conditions in your area may vary.
**Teacher Retention Sources – U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education, Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999–2000 (“Public School Teacher Questionnaire,” “Private School Teacher Questionnaire,” and “Public Charter School Teacher Questionnaire”),
and 2000–01 Teacher Follow-up Survey (“Questionnaire for Current Teachers” and “Questionnaire for Former Teachers,” Table 1.01). Washington, DC.
State estimations based on analysis by Richard Ingersoll, Professor of Education and Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, from the National Center for Education Statistics Student and Staffing Survey, and therefore include a slight margin of error.
