Become a Teacher in Louisiana
LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
1201 North Third St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
(877) 453-2721
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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Louisiana
Important Note: Education licensure requirements, statistics and other information are subject to change. Teach.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. (Last update: 04/26/2020)
All states require at least a bachelor’s degree to teach. Louisiana requires a certification area of focus, education coursework, field experience and student teaching. Louisiana requires 180 hours of field experiences, and a yearlong teaching residency experience as part of any teacher preparation program.
Teacher certification programs can be taken online or on-site. They typically include an educational theory and classroom skills seminar and a fieldwork component of student teaching in the area. A list of accredited teacher preparation programs can be found on the Louisiana Department of Education’s preparation page.
Most states require tests to show competency in basic skills as well as in the desired subject area. Louisiana requires the PPST (Pre Professional Skills Test) for Basic Skills, and the Praxis II: Subject Tests and Praxis II PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching for subject area competence.
You can learn more about the Praxis exams by visiting Teach.com's Ultimate Guide to the Praxis Exams and read more about teacher certification tests on Teach.com.
Initial Teaching Certifications
To earn your Louisiana teaching credential you will have to complete the required amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. Louisiana issues three levels of teacher certification.
The beginning Level 1 Professional Certificate is valid for three years. The Level 2 Professional Certificate, renewable every five years, is issued to teachers with at least three years of experience and ce who have passed the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP), a two-year period of mentoring and assessment that evaluates the teacher’s knowledge of his/her subject area and classroom management skills. The Level 3 Professional Certificate is issued to teachers with five years of experience in their area of certification who have passed the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP) and completed a master’s degree.
Visit the Louisiana Department of Education to learn more about getting your teaching credential. Learn more about getting your teaching credential at Teach.com.
Discover an 8-week Online Teaching Short Course from Harvard's Bok Center
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
The Higher Education Teaching Certificate online short course aims to give you the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and journey in the higher education (HE) field. Loosely based on the in-person seminar program currently offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and in association with HarvardX, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the focus areas of pedagogy, course and assessment design, professional communication, language and culture of the classroom, and reflections on teaching – entirely online, from anywhere in the world.
Alternative Certification in Louisiana
Louisiana has several routes to a Practitioner License which can allow a teacher to work in the classroom for up to three years (with annual renewal) while they complete an approved licensing program. The Practitioner Teacher program combines intensive coursework—24 to 33 credit hours depending on the area you plan to teach—with full-time teaching. The Master’s Degree Alternative Certification Program is an option that leads to certification as well as a master’s degree. The Certification-Only program can be completed face-to-face or online and does not require a full-time commitment.
For more information about different types of certification, visit the Teach Louisiana certification page.
Louisiana Teacher Certification Information & Links
Transferring Your Certification
Certification Reciprocity in Louisiana
Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers certified in one state to teach in another state. To find out which other state teaching licenses can be used in Louisiana, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page or go to the Louisiana Department of Education’s out-of-state applicants page for more information.
To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in Louisiana, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.
Career Advancement
Professional Development for Louisiana Teachers
Louisiana follows the Learning Forward standards for staff development. This Professional Learning Association is widely recognized as a leader in the field of professional development. The standards are based on three questions: What are the students expected to know and be able to do? What are teachers expected to know and be able to do to ensure student success? Where must staff development focus to meet both of these goals? Teachers work in a cohort style method based on their subject areas and grade levels. Upon completion a Mentor Teacher distinction from the Department of Education. Tom Manning, Learning Forwards associate director of consulting and networks spoke about the program with Education Week, Louisiana is Taking the Lead in Mentoring New Teachers. More information about professional development can be found at The Louisiana Department of Education Website.
Benefits of a Master's Degree in Louisiana
It is no longer enough to only have years of experience teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, teachers are almost solely evaluated by their success in the classroom. A master’s degree in the field of education will give you more educational theory and classroom skills, as well as more hands-on student teaching experience with a mentor. After a master’s program, you may be able to achieve better results in the classroom and have more job security and higher pay.
Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
The Higher Education Teaching Certificate online short course aims to give you the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and journey in the higher education (HE) field. Loosely based on the in-person seminar program currently offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and in association with HarvardX, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the focus areas of pedagogy, course and assessment design, professional communication, language and culture of the classroom, and reflections on teaching – entirely online, from anywhere in the world.
Jobs, Benefits, and Opportunities for Teachers in Louisiana
Louisiana Teaching Jobs
In Louisiana, teachers earned an average of $49,000-$52,000 per year, according to 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, Louisiana provides differential pay for teachers willing to work in high demand districts and in shortage subjects. Salaries in Louisiana vary by parish, for more information go to Louisiana Department of Education’s Workforce page.
Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.
Louisiana Teacher Salary and Incentives
Louisiana teachers become vested in the state retirement system after 10 years of service. Employees hired on or after July 1, 2015 are allowed to retire at age 62 after 5 years of service, or any age after 20 years of service. Other benefits include health insurance, paid holidays, sick and annual leave, and promotional opportunities. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a teacher in Louisiana, check out the Summary of Louisiana Teacher Benefits.
Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.
Louisiana Teacher Benefits and Retirement
Louisiana teachers become vested in the state retirement system after 10 years of service. Employees hired on or after July 1, 2015 are allowed to retire at age 62 after 5 years of service, or any age after 20 years of service.The employee required contributions to the Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System is currently 8 percent of the gross salary for employees hired on or after July 1, 2016. Other benefits include health insurance, paid holidays, sick and annual leave, and promotional opportunities. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a teacher in Louisiana, check out the Summary of Louisiana Teacher Benefits.
Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.
Louisiana Teacher Shortage Areas
A teacher shortage occurs when there are not enough teachers in key subject areas, which has been partly caused by years of teacher layoffs during the Great Recession, a growing student population and fewer people entering teacher preparation programs, according to the Learning Policy Institute.
The following is a list of teacher shortage areas in Louisiana for the 2017-18 school year as reported by the U.S. Department of Education.
- English as a Second Language
- Mathematics
- Science
- Special Education
- World Languages
Financial Aid in Louisiana
Louisiana residents are eligible for the Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship as well as the TEACH Grant, a grant which gives financial aid to students in return for an agreement to teach in a high-need school.
Learn more about how to finance your Master's degree on Teach.com.
Information last updated: May 2020