La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § LXXIX-303

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024

Section LXXIX-303 - Instructional Staff

A. Each member of the instructional staff teaching secular subjects, pre-kindergarten through 12, shall meet one of the following three options:

1. hold a valid Louisiana teaching certificate for the courses he/she teaches; or

2. qualify to teach in nonpublic schools by meeting all of the following criteria:

a.have a bachelor's degree from an institution accredited in accordance with 34 CFR 602 ;

b. have a college major or the equivalent in the area of his/her teaching assignment; and

i. for teachers in self-contained classrooms in grades 1 through 8, the major shall be in elementary education;

c. earn 12 semester hours of Knowledge of the Learner and the Learning Environment. A beginning teacher shall have a three-year period in which to meet this 12-semester hour standard:

i. requirements provide the prospective teacher with a fundamental understanding of the learner and the teaching and learning process. Coursework should address the needs of the regular and the exceptional child, such as:

(a). child/adolescent development/psychology;

(b). educational psychology;

(c). the learner with special needs;

(d). classroom organization and management;

(e). multicultural education.

3. Teachers not meeting the requirements of Paragraphs 1 or 2 of this Section may obtain a Nonpublic Temporary Teaching Authorization (NTTA) issued by the DOE or a diocesan superintendent for schools within the diocesan system. The NTTA is valid for one year. To renew the NTTA, a teacher must complete six semester hours needed to complete the requirements of Paragraphs 1 or 2 of this Section.

a. Teachers of grades 1 through 8 without an elementary education major shall also work towards a practitioner's license through an alternative program as outlined in Bulletin 746.

B. A teacher may teach in areas other than the major field for a period of time that is less than one-half of the school day provided that he has earned at least 12 semester hours in each such area. (Exception may be made for teachers in trade and industrial education classes.) These teachers must hold a degree from an institution accredited in accordance with 34 CFR 602 and have earned 12 semester hours of professional education courses.

1. A graduate of a foreign university or college, notwithstanding his/her major in college, may teach a foreign language if that language is his/her native tongue. The teacher must also earn 12 semester hours of professional education courses within a three year period.

C. Teachers of the pre-kindergarten class shall be certified or qualified in either elementary, kindergarten, or nursery school or have earned 12 hours in child growth and development. The 12 hours in child growth and development may be earned through the College of Education or the Department/School of Family and Consumer Sciences.

D. Teachers of the kindergarten class shall be certified or qualified in either elementary or kindergarten or have earned 12 hours in child growth and development. The 12 hours in child growth and development may be earned through the College of Education or the Department/School of Family and Consumer Sciences.

E. Staff members teaching religion at the high school level (9-12) for Carnegie units must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree. Staff members teaching religion that do not meet minimum qualifications may be retained in a school provided they were employed during the 1995-96 school year as teachers of religion.

F. Professional and/or technical personnel, e.g., C.P.A.s, doctors, college or university professors, lab technicians, lawyers, and so forth, may teach less than one-half of a school day in their area of expertise.

G. Repealed.

H. Credentials for graduates of foreign universities or colleges must be submitted to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) or any agency approved by BESE, for evaluation according to the DOE procedures. After reviewing the evaluation, the local administrator shall determine if the applicant is qualified to teach according to the requirements of this Section. A copy of the evaluation shall be kept on file in the principal's office.

1. Applicants with foreign credentials seeking state certification should follow procedures as outlined by the DOE.

I. Teachers in nonpublic schools seeking state certification shall follow the approved procedure.

1. Secondary and elementary personnel may teach grades preK-12 in their qualified areas.

J. A teacher may be considered qualified without having the 12 hours of Knowledge of the Learner and the Learning Environment courses provided the following stipulations have been met:

1. the teacher has documented experience at one of the following levels:

a. ten years teaching experience at the collegiate level as an assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor; or

b. ten years teaching experience in an approved elementary, middle, or secondary school; and

2. the teacher has the content knowledge qualifications required in §303A.2.b or §303 B; or

3. the teacher has a master's degree in the teaching area; and

4. the teacher has taught for a probationary period of at least one year with a satisfactory evaluation at the school seeking employment of the teacher.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § LXXIX-303

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 29:2344 (November 2003), amended LR 31:3075 (December 2005), LR 32:1417 (August 2006), LR 32:2237 (December 2006), LR 34:229 (February 2008), LR 34:609 (April 2008), LR 39:1440 (June 2013), Amended LR 451055 (8/1/2019), Amended LR 482553 (10/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:6(A)(10), (11), and (15), 17:7(6), 17:10, 17:22(6), 17:391.1391.10, and R.S. 44:411.