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.

The New Teacher Experience - Overview Video

NTE: Support

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) supports school systems with a comprehensive teacher induction program that serves as a pathway for novice teachers to experience teacher socialization and collaboration, and develop the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in the classroom. The New Teacher Experience includes working with a trained, carefully selected mentor throughout the year, collaborating with other new teachers statewide to improve their craft through discussion, and studying pedagogical skills and content knowledge through professional learning modules. These supports will help new teachers build confidence in their abilities to instruct students and manage classrooms. This program will assist school systems to either develop a new teacher induction program or strengthen an existing induction program.

The LDOE offers quarterly support calls to assist school systems in implementing the New Teacher Experience. Additional details can be found in the NTE support document.

NTE Professional Learning 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.

Linked below are one page documents to help support principals and mentors in understanding next steps they can take with new teachers once they complete each of the learning modules.

New Teacher of the Year Award

Announcing the 2025 New Teacher of the Year

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
View the 2025 New Teacher of the Year finalists.

Please refer to the New Teacher of the Year timeline. This document outlines the selection process and timeline for school systems. Additionally, the awards library includes all necessary resources for state level candidates.

NTE: Summer Kick Off

The Louisiana Department of Education will host a Summer Kick-off for the New Teacher Experience on July 24, 2024 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.
Read the NTE Summer Kick off one- pager for additional details about the 2023-20234 summer kick off event.

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.