LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, BOARD OF REGENTS, BESE LAUNCH TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM WEBSITE

Sep 10, 2020

Prospective educators can explore teacher preparation programs and pathways at LouisianaTeacherPrep.com

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education, Louisiana Board of Regents and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) debuted a new website that will help soon-to-be educators choose the teacher preparation program that fits them best. Prospective educators can now visit LouisianaTeacherPrep.com to explore teacher preparation programs and pathways to become a teacher.

"If we want to provide our children with the education they deserve, we need a highly effective teacher in front of every child," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. "Not only does this new tool help prospective teachers find the best pathway for them, but it will recruit educators to our state by showcasing Louisiana's many quality preparation programs."

The new website will serve as a one-stop-shop for information on the state's 29 teacher preparation providers. LouisianaTeacherPrep.com 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. 

Completion of a teacher preparation program signifies that an enrolled teacher candidate has met all state educational and training requirements to be recommended for initial certification. The LDOE is collaborating with BESE and the Board of Regents in this work. BESE has regulatory authority over any training program that results in initial educator certification in Louisiana. The Board of Regents has regulatory authority over public universities. 

"Louisiana has taken steps to ensure the quality of teacher preparation programs available in our state, resulting in a variety of excellent pathways available to individuals pursuing certification," said Sandy Holloway, BESE president. "As we continue the work of strengthening the teaching profession in Louisiana, new resources must be developed and promoted that support educator development. LouisianaTeacherPrep.com is such a resource, giving prospective teachers valuable information and a convenient way to survey a variety of programs that will prepare them for a successful career in education."

The website is launching with information and profiles on each approved provider. The site will be updated in the winter to include each provider's performance on Louisiana's Teacher Preparation Quality Rating System. 

BESE approved policies that established the Teacher Preparation Quality Rating System, as required by federal regulations. The rating system is designed to provide preparation providers with meaningful information for improvement, to identify programs of excellence and to reward providers for meeting Louisiana's educator workforce needs.

"The universities are committed to producing quality teachers for all students in Louisiana. In order to do this, we must recruit teacher candidates who are talented, critical thinkers who love children and teens. We're hopeful this new website showcases our programs and makes teaching attractive to incoming college students as well as career-changers," said Southeastern Louisiana University College of Education Dean Dr. Paula Calderon. "All twenty Louisiana Association of Colleges for Teacher Education universities have nationally accredited teacher education programs spanning from birth to twelfth grade, and we are looking forward to being able to showcase our teacher education programs to Louisiana and to the nation. Dr. Keith Leger's team has provided additional information on a public website we can use to showcase our programs for national accreditation."

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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