Preparation for the Classroom: Louisiana
Alternate Routes Policy
Analysis of Louisiana's policies
Louisiana offers three alternate routes to certification: Practitioner Teacher Alternate Certification Program, Master's Degree Alternate Certification Program and Certification-Only Alternate Certification Program.
Practice Teaching: Practitioner Teacher Program candidates must participate in field-based experiences in school settings while completing summer/fall coursework.
Master's Degree Program and Certification-Only candidates must take a student teaching or internship that lasts between six and nine credit hours.
Induction Support: Beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year, new mentorship policies will go into effect. There will be increased mentoring time for alternate candidates in seven rural school systems during the residency year. Participating school systems will revise class schedules and adjust teaching assignments to provide candidates with structured practice and mentorship for one period every day during the entire school year. The 80-hour pre-residency practice requirement will be eliminated and replaced with five hours per week of co-teaching, collaborative planning, observation, and feedback session for the first year of teaching.
Manageable Coursework: Louisiana's Practitioner Teacher Program's duration varies depending on a candidate's intended certification. Grades PK-3 practitioner teachers must
complete 12 credit hours or equivalent 180 contact hours prior to starting the teaching internship.
Grades 1-5, 4-8, and 6-12 practitioner teachers must complete 9 credit hours or equivalent 135
contact hours prior to starting the teaching internship. General-Special Education Mild/Moderate
practitioner teachers for grades 1-5, 4-8, and 6-12 must complete 12 credit hours or equivalent
180 contact hours prior to starting the teaching internship. All level K-12 practitioner teachers
must complete 9 credit hours or equivalent 135 contact hours prior to starting the teaching
internship. At the end of the first year, a team comprised of program providers, principals,
mentors, and practitioner teachers determine a prescriptive plan, if needed, that requires from 1 -
9 credit hours of instruction, or 15-135 equivalent contact hours, in the second year.
The Master's Degree program requirements include 15 credit hours of Knowledge of Learner and
the Learning Environment, Reading (credit hours vary depending on area of certification),
methodology and training (credit hours vary depending on area of certification), and 6-9 credit
hours of Student Teaching or Internship.
The Certification-Only program requires 27-33 credit hours or equivalent 405-495 contact hours
to be met within three years. The program requirements include 80 contact hours of classroom
readiness training, 12 hours or equivalent contact hours of coursework
that pertains to knowledge of the learner and learning environment, 6 semester hours or
equivalent contact hours of Methodology and Teaching, and 6 hours of Internship or Student
Teaching. Candidates are also required to demonstrate proficiency in reading competencies by
either successfully completing the same number of semester hours in reading as required for
undergraduate teacher preparation programs (PK-3 and Elementary 1-5: 9 hours; Grades 4-8: 6
hours; 6-12 or all level K-12: 3 hours) or passing a reading competency assessment.
Targeted Coursework: Practitioner Teacher candidates' coursework includes classroom management, the diverse learner, child or adolescent development or psychology, assessment, instructional design, and instructional strategies. Candidates teach full-time while participating in the teaching internship, which includes two seminars (Fall and Spring) that address immediate needs of the candidate.
The Master's Degree candidates' required coursework includes knowledge of the learner and the learning environment, reading, methodology and training.
The Certification-Only program candidates' required coursework includes classroom readiness training that focuses on instructional design and delivery, as well as classroom environment and classroom management. Candidates must also take coursework in knowledge of the learner and the learning environment, methodology and teaching, and reading.
Recommendations for Louisiana
As a result of Louisiana's strong alternate route preparation policies, no recommendations are provided.
State response to our analysis
Louisiana was helpful in providing NCTQ with facts necessary for this analysis.
Updated: July 2019
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Louisiana
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Teacher Preparation
- Program Entry
- Teacher Shortages and Surpluses
- Program Performance Measures
- Program Reporting Requirements
- Student Teaching/Clinical Practice
Elementary Teacher Preparation
Secondary Teacher Preparation
- Middle School Content Knowledge
- Middle School Licensure Requirements
- Secondary Content Knowledge
- Secondary Licensure Requirements
Special Education Teacher Preparation
Alternate Routes
Teacher Diversity
Hiring
Teacher and Principal Evaluation
Teacher Compensation
Early Childhood Preparation
Retaining Effective Teachers
How we graded
- Practice Teaching: The state should require a supervised practice-teaching experience prior to entry into the classroom as the "teacher of record".
- Induction: The state should require that all new teachers receive intensive induction support that includes mentorship with experienced educators.
- Manageable Coursework: The state should ensure that the amount of coursework it either requires or allows is manageable for a novice teacher. Anything exceeding 12 credit/semester hours or 40 contact/clock hours per year may be counterproductive, placing too great a burden on the teacher. This calculation is premised on no more than six credit hours in the summer, three credit hours in the spring, and three credit hours in the fall.
- Targeted Coursework: The state should ensure that all coursework requirements are targeted to the immediate needs of new teachers, with an emphasis on classroom behavioral management (courses that include childhood development and psychology, culturally responsive teaching and learning, diverse learners, etc.) and pedagogy (courses that include curriculum, instructional planning and assessment; differentiated learning; etc.).
The total goal score is earned based on the following:
- Full credit: The state will earn the full point if all four elements - practice teaching, induction, manageable coursework, and targeted coursework - are required for every alternate route program/pathway offered by the state.
- Three-quarters credit: The state will earn three-quarters of a point if three elements are required for every alternate route program/pathway offered by the state.
- One-half credit: The state will earn one-half of a point if two elements are required for every alternate route program/pathway offered by the state.
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if one element is required for every alternate route program/pathway offered by the state.
Research rationale
Teachers who enter the profession through alternate routes report lower levels of self-efficacy compared to beginning teachers who enter through traditional teacher preparation programs. Alternate route teachers are likely to be especially concerned about their ability to effectively deliver instruction, manage the classroom, and plan lessons[1]. Most new teachers—regardless of their preparation—find themselves overwhelmed by the responsibilities of the job. This is especially true for alternate route teachers, who may have had considerably less classroom exposure than traditionally prepared teachers[2]. States must ensure that alternate routes do not leave new teachers to "sink or swim" on their own when they begin teaching.
It is critical that all alternate routes provide at least a brief student teaching or other supervised practice experience for candidates before they enter their own classrooms. Field work and exposure to real classrooms offers a scaffolded opportunity for prospective new teachers to gain practical experience. Across areas of instruction, student teachers feel significantly better prepared after completing student teaching[3]. Access to highly-effective rated cooperating teachers in student teaching experiences results in pronounced positive outcomes for students of aspiring teachers[4].
Additionally, all new teachers need comprehensive and ongoing professional development even after they become "teachers of record.[5]" Effective induction programs go beyond the basics of new teacher orientation[6] and may include comprehensive supports, such as mentorship, common planning time with other teachers, reduced teaching course loads, and assistance from a classroom aide. Access to a mentor teacher with subject-area expertise and dedicated common collaboration time with other teachers of the same subject area are cited as the two most effective factors in reducing first-year turnover and improving job satisfaction and commitment[7]. Robust and consistent mentorship not only helps new teachers feel supported, but also improves retention and student outcomes[8]. Importantly, students' academic performance increases when they're taught by teachers who are highly engaged in induction programs with mentorship, as compared to students of teachers who are not engaged in such programs[9]. Induction programs should require new teachers, especially those who enter the profession through alternate routes with limited preparation, to collaborate with experienced and effective mentors who can guide them through what can often be a challenging transition into a new career.
Alternate routes must provide practical and meaningful coursework that is sensitive to a new teacher's workload and stress level. State policies that require alternate route programs to "backload" large amounts of traditional education coursework prevent the emergence of real alternatives to traditional preparation. This issue is especially important given the large proportion of alternate route teachers who complete required coursework in the evenings and on weekends while also teaching[10]. States need to be careful to require participants only to meet standards or complete coursework that is practical and immediately helpful to a new teacher[11]. That is, while advanced pedagogy coursework may be meaningful for veteran teachers, alternate route coursework should build on more fundamental professional competencies such as classroom management techniques, instructional methods, or curriculum delivery. Alternate route participants' primary concern as novice teachers is managing the classroom, which should be a focus in required coursework. Furthermore, the curriculum for teacher training programs must be aligned to what beginner teachers experience in the classroom. Clear connections between theory and best teaching practices enable coursework to be directly translated into the classroom[12].
[1] Forsbach-Rothman, T., Margolin, M., & Bloom, D. (2007). Student Teachers and Alternate Route Teachers' Sense of Efficacy and Views of Teacher Preparation. Journal of the National Association for Alternative Certification,2(1), 29-41. Retrieved from http://jnaac.com/index.php/JNAAC/article/view/45/33
[2] Greenberg, J., Walsh, K., & McKee, A. (2014). Teacher Prep Review: A review of the nation's teacher preparation programs.Retrieved from http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Teacher_Prep_Review_2014_Report
[3] Darling-Hammond, L. (2014). Strengthening Clinical Preparation: The Holy Grail of Teacher Education. Peabody Journal of Education,89(4), 547-561. doi:https://doi-org.proxy.library.georgetown.edu/10.1080/0161956X.2014.939009
[4] Goldhaber, D., Krieg, J., & Theobald, R. (2019). Leveraging the student-teaching experience to train tomorrow's great teachers. Brown Center Chalkboard. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2019/05/20/leveraging-the-student-teaching-experience-to-train-tomorrows-great-teachers/.
[5] For a further review of the research on new teacher induction, see: Rogers, M., Lopez, A., Lash, A., Schaffner, M., Shields, P., & Wagner, M. (2004). Review of research on the impact of beginning teacher induction on teacher quality and retention. Retrieved from http://www.newteacher.com/pdf/ResearchontheImpactofInduction.pdf
[6] Wong, H. K. (2004). Induction Programs That Keep New Teachers Teaching and Improving. NASSP Bulletin, 88(638), 41-58. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f71d/e558a5e10724e31ba26d477057ef0272110b.pdf
[7] Ingersoll, R. M. (2012, May 16). Beginning Teacher Induction: What the Data Tell us. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/kappan_ingersoll.h31.html
[8] Brody, S. (2017, November). A bright spot for PD—new teacher induction that works [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-bright-spot-for-PDnew-teacher-induction-that-works
[9] There is no shortage of research that indicates the students of new teachers who receive strong mentorship have higher scores than those of new teachers with minimal to no or weak mentorship. See: Best Practices in Teacher and Administrator Induction Programs. (2016). California County Superintendents Educational Services Association. Retrieved from http://ccsesa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Best-Practices-in-Teacher-and-Administrator-Induction-Programs.pdf
[10] Constantine, J., Player, D., Silva, T., Hallgren, K., Grider, M., & Deke, J. (2009). An evaluation of teachers trained through different routes to certification. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4043. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED504313.pdf
[11] Walsh, K., & Jacobs, S. (2007). Alternative certification isn't alternative. Thomas B. Fordham Institute, National Council on Teacher Quality. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED498382.pdf
[12] O'Connora, E. A., Malow, M. S., & Bisland, B. M. (2011). Mentorship and instruction received during training: Views of alternatively certified teachers. Educational Review,63(2), 219-232. doi:10.1080/00131911.2010.537312