Practitioner Teachers (PTs) are eligible for a Practitioner License (PL) issued by the Louisiana Department of Education. The PL is a one-year license that can be held for a maximum of three years and is renewable annually. In order to retain the PL, all PTs must remain in good standing with the partner program and the Louisiana Practitioner Teacher Program (LPTP).

PTs are expected to apply for a Level 1 upon completion of LPTP. A Level 1 teaching certificate is the standard, three-year Louisiana teaching certificate.

In order to earn certification through the Louisiana Practitioner Teacher Program (LPTP), a Practitioner Teacher (PT) must fulfill all of the following requirements. Successful program completion typically takes 12 months, at which point a PT is eligible to apply for a Level 1 teaching certificate.



Enrollment Requirements:

  1. Admittance into an LPTP partner program.
  2. A bachelor’s degree with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
  3. Pass the Praxis Pre-Professional Skills Test in reading, writing, & mathematics (Praxis I). An ACT composite score of 22 or an SAT combined verbal and math score of 1030, or a graduate degree, may be submitted in lieu of Praxis I exams.
  4. Pass the Praxis content specific exam (Praxis II).
  5. Agree to pay LPTP tuition.


LPTP Requirements:

  1. Complete Summer Institute with one of LPTP’s partner programs.
  2. Teach full-time at a partner school in a specified certification area.
  3. Successfully complete the Teaching for Results seminar series. This includes: attendance at least 14 of 16 Teaching for Results seminars , adherence to professional values, and completion of all assignments/assessments.
  4. Complete and submit documentation of at least 180 professional development contact hours .
  5. Complete two semesters of LaTAAP or TAP mentor programs , if offered by the school.
  6. Receive a passing rating on the Performance Evaluation System (PES) Portfolio .
  7. Pass the Praxis pedagogy exam (PLT).

During the course of the school year, there are four major requirements that Practitioner Teachers must successfully accomplish in order to be recommended for certification through LPTP. These requirements are:

  • Successful completion of the Teaching for Results seminar series
    At the heart of LPTP is Teaching for Results (TfR), a series of professional development seminars that help Practitioner Teachers become effective at understanding the content their students must master, delivering focused instruction, and using assessment tools to gauge student progress. TfR seminars develop a PT’s knowledge and ability to teach subject matter with the same focus on student achievement that was established through the Teaching for Student Achievement (TfSA) framework during summer institute. With a clear picture of where students are and where they need to be, PTs can plan, teach, re-teach when necessary, and adjust their practice, ensuring that Fellows aren’t just thinking about their role in closing the achievement gap, but actively working on a daily basis to close it.
    • Teaching for Results seminars are led by a Seminar Leader (SL), who is an experienced educator versed in the Louisiana Content Standards. Seminars typically meet twice a month for three hours at a time. Practitioner Teachers are expected to attend all seminars, adhere to professional values and to complete all assignments and assessments.

  • Professional Development Contact Hours
    Beyond Teaching for Results, there are a wealth of professional development opportunities which are vital to a Practitioner Teacher's development. In order to be eligible for a Level 1 teaching certificate through LPTP, PTs are required to complete and document 180 professional development contact hours during their first year of teaching.

    A “contact hour” is defined as “any hour in which the Practitioner Teacher (PT) pursues or participates in some type of activity that provides professional development or ensures that s/he is becoming a more skilled teacher.” Examples include district- or school-based workshops, grade- or subject-specific conferences, and any optional university coursework a PT may undertake.

  • LaTAAP/TAP
    In Louisiana, two programs are designed to support and develop new teachers: the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP), and the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP).

    LaTAAP (Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program) is a state-created program required of all new teachers in Louisiana regardless of their certification route or status. Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) is a research-based school reform initiative intended to recruit, motivate, develop and retain high quality teachers in order to increase student achievement.

    Due to funding cuts, not all Louisiana schools offer one of these programs. However, if LaTAAP or TAP is offered at a PT’s school, LPTP requires the PT to participate.

  • PAS Portfolio
    All LPTP teachers are assessed through the Performance Assessment System (PAS) portfolio, a culminating performance activity which evaluates classroom performance and teaching ability, including evidence of student academic achievement, to ensure that all teachers meet rigorous performance standards. PTs submit a portfolio in May, at the conclusion of their first year teaching.

    Trained external assessors review and rate each PAS portfolio. PTs must obtain a passing rating in order to remain eligible for a Level 1 certificate.

    Years 2 and 3
    If a Practitioner Teacher receives a failing rating on the PAS Portfolio, or if s/he does not meet any other LPTP requirements by the end of his/her first year of teaching, s/he will be placed on a prescriptive plan. PTs also might use years 2 and 3 to complete other program elements, such as passing the PLT exam.

 

The Louisiana Practitioner Teacher Program is an initiative of The New Teacher Project.
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