LOUISIANA RELEASES FIRST ROUND OF INFORMATIONAL TEACHER PREPARATION QUALITY RATING SYSTEM DATA

Mar 04, 2021

Results provide meaningful information for improvement, identify programs of excellence and reward providers for meeting educator workforce needs

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education today released the first round of informational results for the state’s Teacher Preparation Quality Rating System. Required by federal regulations, the rating system is designed to provide teacher preparation providers with meaningful information for improvement, to identify programs of excellence and to reward providers for meeting Louisiana’s educator workforce needs. 

“I commend the efforts over the last few years to build this informational system,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “This system will help inform the public, recognize success and provide a basis for continuous improvement.”

The profiles released today are part of the phasing-in of the Teacher Preparation Quality Rating System. Available at LouisianaTeacherPrep.com, the results will only be used for informational purposes. Starting in 2023, the results will be used by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to inform continued program approval decisions. This first round of results are from 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. 

“The initial data provided through the new rating system is very encouraging,” said Sandy Holloway, BESE president. “We are seeing that educator training providers are working to strengthen their programs and more state-approved, quality providers are coming online. Going forward, Louisiana’s rating system and the valuable information it generates will help ensure that these positive trends in educator preparation, readiness and retention continue. A stronger teaching profession in Louisiana results in stronger outcomes for students.”

The data highlighted a number of promising trends in Louisiana’s teacher preparation programs.

  • Providers are improving as the system is being phased in
  • 43 percent of teacher preparation programs sought approval from the Board to train teachers in high-need certification areas within the last 18 months
  • More than half of aspiring educators who completed a residency in a high-need school were retained in a high-need school in the following year; thus creating a much needed talent pipeline for Louisiana’s highest-need schools

Literacy training is a common area of focus seen in this first round of results. On-site review reports noted the need for many programs to strengthen literacy training through the comprehensive coverage of research-based literacy instruction.

The LDOE is collaborating with BESE and the Board of Regents in this work. As required by federal regulations, BESE established the Teacher Preparation Quality Rating System in 2017. BESE has regulatory authority over any training program that results in initial educator certification in Louisiana. The Board of Regents approves degree programs and post-baccalaureate certificates, while the four public systems of higher education (Louisiana State University System, University of Louisiana System, Southern University System and Louisiana Community and Technical College System) oversee the day-to-day operations of their respective campuses including teacher preparation programs. 

“This baseline data provides valuable feedback to our teacher preparation programs illuminating both best practices as well as areas in which students’ learning experiences can be improved,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed. “We have a shared commitment with the Department of Education to strengthen our future teacher corps because of the tremendous impact they will have on the education of our students.”

The system rates providers on a four point scale: Level 1 Ineffective, Level 2 Needs Improvement, Level 3 Effective and Level 4 Highly Effective. No provider received a Level 1 Ineffective. Forty-four percent of undergraduate pathways and 63 percent of post-baccalaureate pathways achieved a Level 3 Effective or higher on the 2019-2020 informational performance profiles.

The Quality Rating System measures three domains:

  • Preparation Program Experience, as measured by an on-site review;
  • Meeting Educator Workforce Needs, as measured by the number of candidates placed in high-need schools and the number of program completers in high-need certification areas;
  • Teacher Quality, as measured by the value-added results of program completers.

LouisianaTeacherPrep.com launched in November 2020 with information and profiles on each approved provider. It serves as a one-stop-shop for information on the state’s teacher preparation providers. The site was produced to provide prospective educators with data on Louisiana teacher preparation providers that may be helpful as they select a program suitable to their needs. 

A teacher preparation program is a post-secondary, state-approved course of study. Completion signifies that an enrolled teacher candidate has met all state educational and training requirements to be recommended for initial certification. 

An undergraduate teacher preparation pathway consists of earning a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree program. A post-baccalaureate teacher preparation pathway is best suited for individuals who already hold a Bachelor's degree. There are 29 teacher preparation providers in Louisiana. In 2018-2019, 1,975 prospective educators went through a teacher preparation program. Of those, 1,096 were prepared by post-baccalaureate programs and 879 were prepared by undergraduate programs.

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