Traditional Certification is completed as part of your undergraduate experience, where you earn your certification at the same time as your bachelor’s degree. Alternative certification is completed after your degree, often in an accelerated timeframe where you are engaging in coursework for 1-2 years instead of 4.

• Early Childhood (Pre-K to 3rd Grade)
• Elementary (1st to 5th Grade)
• Middle School (4th to 8th Grade)
  • English Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies
• Secondary (6th to 12th Grade)
  • English Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
    • General Science, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Physics
  • Social Studies
• Foreign Language (K to 12th Grade)
  • Spanish, French
• Mild/Moderate Special Education can be paired with any Elementary, Middle, or Secondary General Education certification area. Special Education is not available for Early Childhood or Foreign Language. 

A teacher must have a bachelor’s degree and a willingness to become a lead teacher of record in a Louisiana school system.

We have three entry points: Fall (Late September), Spring (Early January), Summer (Early June)

After your initial application, our acceptance process mimics one of our sessions, where you participate in one of our live virtual classes. You are required to complete prework, attend the session, and complete postwork.

The program can be completed in 12, 18, or 21 months, depending on when you start. Our Coursework Phase can be completed in seven weeks if you join in the summer or five months if you join in the Fall or Spring. The Coaching Phase takes two semesters, with entry points in August and January.

Each course follows the same cycle. The session starts with you independently completing your prework, during which we introduce the topic to you through readings, videos, and reflections. Then, you attend a live, virtual session on Zoom with your cohort, during which you will discuss, analyze, and practice the session skills. The session concludes with you independently completing the postwork to show proficiency with the new skill.

Our team is here to help you from your application through certification. We’ll support you with your Praxis, coursework, and while you’re teaching in your own classroom. Every practitioner has a coach assigned to help them throughout coursework and in the classroom. 

You don’t need to take the Praxis test before applying, but you will need to pass the Praxis Content Exam prior to your Coaching phase. The Louisiana Department of Education regularly updates Praxis requirements on their website. Navigating which Praxis to take when is an individual question that we are happy to assist with. Schedule an info call with our team to determine which Praxis exam is right for your certification journey.

TAT is a Temporary Authorization to Teach issued to teachers who have been hired to work in a public school and enrolled in a program but have not yet passed their Praxis requirements. It does not lead to certification. It’s good for one year and can be renewed twice with proof of attempted Praxis exams. After your second renewal, you are no longer eligible for a TAT.

PL is a Practitioner License issued to teachers who are hired to be a lead teacher, enrolled in a program, and have passed their Praxis requirements. The Louisiana Department of Education requires teachers in alternative certification programs to teach with a Practitioner License for 180 days before earning their Initial Certification. It’s good for one year and can be renewed twice.

Earning your Level 1 is the ultimate goal of our program. The Level 1 is the Initial Certification issued to teachers who have met all requirements and taught for 180 days on a Practitioner License. It’s good for three years and can be renewed twice. The more advanced license is a Level 2, which requires three years of teaching experience with satisfactory evaluations.

The only dual certification offered by the state is a general education certification with a mild/moderate special education certification. If you want to become certified in multiple general certification areas, you can add on additional areas after earning your initial certification. Each add-on certification area has specific requirements depending on the content.

The program costs $4,750 for general education certification and $5,250 for dual special education certification. We offer a $500 discount for paying in full. The standard payment plan is $250/month until your program fees are paid in full, with a $500 deposit due at the beginning of the program.

As an alternative certification provider not associated with a college or university, LRCE is unable to provide financial aid. However, LRCE is always happy to discuss flexible payment arrangements based on your individual situation. We can also refer you to one of our many district partners who offer full or partial reimbursement of your program fees.

LRCE does not assign or place teachers into jobs, but we regularly work with districts and schools to help practitioners find a position within their certification area. Some districts will even pay for your certification.

Being a Lead Teacher of Record is a requirement for your Practitioner License. We suggest that you be hired as a teacher by the beginning of the summer prior to your Coaching phase.

You must have your bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university or college, pass the required Praxis exams for your certification area (each area has different testing requirements), complete all coursework with proficiency, demonstrate proficiency with classroom observations, teach as a lead teacher of record for 180 days with support for a school-based mentor, and pay your program fees.

Practitioners seeking certification in Early Childhood, Elementary, or Special Education need to take the Teaching of Reading exam. The specific test numbers and requirements do change, so we ask people to check the latest requirements from the Louisiana Department of Education on their website.

Yes. In previous years, teachers were required to pass the Praxis Core and the Praxis Content. The Master’s Degree could have been used instead of the Praxis Core test, but the Praxis Core is no longer required.

For initial certification, all practitioners are required to be hired by a school as the teacher of record. At LRCE, you need to become the teacher of record to apply for your Practitioner License and join Phase Two Coaching. You do not need a Teacher of Record position to apply or participate in Phase One Coursework. The Teacher of Record is the contracted teacher responsible for the students of a class. An easy way to understand it is that you are the Teacher of Record if you are the one giving students grades, and your name shows up on the report card. A Teacher of Record is not a paraprofessional, assistant, or substitute teacher.

Yes - The state requires all teachers, even those with passing Praxis tests, to complete a program inclusive of 180 days of teaching on a Practitioner License.

You can begin your certification journey and complete our coursework as a paraprofessional or substitute teacher, but you must be a lead teacher of record for 180 school days to be issued a Practitioner License and earn certification.