Louisiana Teacher Certification
All candidates applying to teachNOLA must currently hold a Louisiana Teaching Credential or a teaching license from another state that shares reciprocity with the State of Louisiana. Candidates who are completing a college or university education program must complete the program and certification requirements by July 15, 2009.
The Louisiana Department of Education is the sole provider of credentials and reciprocity permission to meet teachNOLA eligibility requirements. Additionally, candidates must be on track to be considered highly qualified under federal No Child Left Behind legislation All candidates who already hold, or will hold, a Teaching Credential from Louisiana or any other state will need to submit a copy of their teaching certificate (or a letter from their college/university program provider) if invited to interview with teachNOLA.
Candidates with out-of-state credentials who are invited to join teachNOLA should apply for their Louisiana Teaching Credentials in the summer of 2009 by submitting the state-required paperwork directly to the Louisiana Department of Education.
Candidates who have not started the credentialing process should apply to the teachNOLA Teaching Fellows program. To download more information about the overall credentialing process in Louisiana, including licensure structure, click here.
For more information about obtaining a Louisiana license if you have a license from another state, click here.
To download an Out-of-State Certification Application packet, click here.
The following questions may be helpful as you determine your next steps in securing Louisiana certification.
1. How do I know if I am on track to be considered highly qualified under No Child Left Behind?
To be considered highly qualified, teachers must be certified in the area(s) in which they are teaching, as well as demonstrate content mastery of those area(s). Some of the ways that content mastery can be demonstrated include:
- Passing the appropriate Praxis exam(s) required for the core academic subject area(s) for which you are seeking to become highly qualified
- Completing requirements of new, streamlined add-on (endorsement) certification(s) in the area(s) for which you are seeking to become highly qualified
- Providing proof of the equivalent of an academic major in every core subject that you will teach
- Providing proof of National Board Certification
- Providing proof of a master’s degree in a pure content area for every core academic subject that you will teach (if teaching at the middle or high school level)
2. Do I have to restart the application process if I currently hold a standard State of Louisiana teaching certificate?
No. If you already have a standard State of Louisiana teaching certificate, all you need to do is submit a copy of your certificate if invited to interview with teachNOLA. Please check to make sure that your certificate has not expired.
3. I have a standard teaching certificate from a state other than Louisiana (or I am completing an approved college or university education program outside of Louisiana to earn my teaching certification and will be finished by July of 2008.) What do I do next?
If you are invited to join and enroll in teachNOLA, you should apply for Louisiana certification by applying directly to the Louisiana State Department of Education. Louisiana offers two types of teaching certificates to applicants holding a standard out-of-state teaching certificate. Both are valid certificates and make the holder eligible for a teaching assignment in a Louisiana classroom. The certificate that is issued to the applicant depends on whether or not the applicant has met Louisiana’s Praxis and/or NTE testing requirements.
For more information for out-of-state applicants, click here.
4. My teaching credential expired. What do I do?
If your license has expired in Louisiana, or in another state, you may be able to reinstate or renew your certification in Louisiana.
For more information on an expired Louisiana certificate, click here.
For more information on an expired certificate from any other state, click here.
5. I have additional questions about obtaining Louisiana certification. Who should I contact?
For further information regarding Louisiana certification, please contact the Division of Certification and Preparation at the Louisiana Department of Education at: 225-342-3490 (or toll free at 1-877-453-2721) or via email at customerservice@la.gov.
For additional contact information, click here.
To review the Louisiana Department of Education certification website, click here.
To review the Teach Louisiana website, click here.