The New Teacher Experience

The New Teacher Experience is a comprehensive induction program that will offer multiple services designed to increase teacher effectiveness, enhance skills, and reduce attrition among beginning teachers. The New Teacher Experience will provide both direct supports to teachers and system supports to improve student achievement by improving beginning teacher effectiveness and teacher retention.

NTE Pilot

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) will support school systems in establishing a comprehensive teacher induction program that can serve as a pathway for novice teachers to experience teacher socialization and collaboration with affinity groups, work with a trained, carefully selected mentor throughout the year, study pedagogical skills and content knowledge, and build confidence in their abilities to instruct students and manage classrooms. This guidance will assist school systems to either develop a new teacher induction program or strengthen an existing induction program.

School systems may be interested in participating in this pilot if they do not have a support program in place for new teachers, or if they have one that they want to modify to include additional best practices. 

NTE affinity groups

The Department will create collaboration opportunities for new teachers by establishing affinity groups that new teachers will join monthly, after working hours. These affinity groups will be led by outstanding educators across the state.

The goals of these groups will revolve around the following:

  • linking new teachers by a common purpose or interest (teachers of SWSCD, 2nd grade teachers, etc.)

  • ensuring an inclusive environment where new teachers are valued, included and empowered to succeed

  • improving their craft through discussion, collaboration, and purposeful materials and leadership in each group.

Affinity Group Leader Job Description

NTE professional development modules

The Department will work with a partner organization to develop professional development modules on topics that are critical for new teacher success. These modules will include online asynchronous content that new teachers will be able to complete independently and also opportunities to practice and apply these concepts during in person follow up sessions. 

There will be five (5) modules. Each module will begin with the online component in month one. This will be followed by in person professional development on that module in the following month.

New Teacher of the Year Award

The Louisiana Department of Education recognizes that great teachers and school leaders are critical to student success. Annually, the Department, in partnership with Dream Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Principals, honors the state’s most exceptional educators through the Teacher and Principal of the Year programs.The New Teacher of the Year has been added to these current award programs to recognize the contributions of Louisiana’s first year teachers.

New Teacher of the Year - Less than one year of full time teaching experience

NTE: Summer Kick Off

The Louisiana Department of Education will host a Summer Kick-off for the New Teacher Experience on July 26, 2023 for 500 first year teachers. 

The goals of the event are to: 

  • Welcome new teachers to the profession.
  • Understand the components of Louisiana’s New Teacher Experience.
  • Engage in professional learning around topics relevant to new teachers.
  • Provide statewide networking opportunities for new teachers.

NTE Guidance

The New Teacher Experience Guidance Document outlines Louisiana's comprehensive induction program that serves as the standard experience all new educators should receive. For early career teachers, effective onboarding and ongoing, authentic mentoring within schools is paramount to supporting new teachers to build skills, confidence, and most importantly, self-efficacy. This guidance outlines effective recruitment and retention strategies for school systems that will strengthen their talent pipeline.