How to Become a Teacher in Louisiana

Louisiana certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Louisiana Department of Education — Certification & Educator Background Credentialing publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Enroll in a BESE-approved undergraduate teacher preparation program

   The undergraduate pathway is a Bachelor of Arts or Science program for candidates who do not yet hold a bachelor’s degree. Louisiana’s Pathways to Teaching page states that undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programs use a competency-based curriculum and a yearlong teaching residency.

   Source: louisianabelieves.com

2. 2

   Complete coursework and the yearlong residency

   Finish required coursework and a yearlong teaching residency. Traditional/undergraduate candidates typically serve on a Resident Teacher certificate during the residency year while remaining enrolled in the BESE-approved program.

   Source: louisianabelieves.com

3. 3

   Pass required Praxis content examinations

   Pathways to Teaching lists passing Praxis exams as part of program completion. Teach Louisiana’s current Praxis chart requires a content-area exam appropriate to the certification grade level; elementary and special education areas also carry Teaching of Reading / language-arts subtest requirements on published timelines. Praxis Core is not listed as a current gate for initial Level certificates on the Department’s 2022 policy-update materials.

   Source: teachlouisiana.net

4. 4

   Receive a provider recommendation for a Level 1 professional certificate

   After successful completion of the BESE-approved program, residency, and required exams, the teacher preparation provider recommends the candidate for an initial Level 1 professional teaching certificate through the Louisiana Educator Certification (LEC) system in the Louisiana Educator Portal.

   Source: teachlouisiana.net

5. 5

   Apply and pay in the Louisiana Educator Certification (LEC) system

   Sign in to the Louisiana Educator Portal with a MyLa account, submit the certification application electronically, and pay fees online. User guides for applicants and preparation providers are posted on Teach Louisiana. For questions, use the Teacher Certification Help Portal rather than informal email threads.

   Source: teachlouisiana.net

Louisiana split the public story of “how to become a teacher” from the actual application system. Pathways live on LouisianaBelieves; applications, payments, and role-based user guides live on Teach Louisiana’s LEC/LEP stack, which now requires a MyLa sign-in. Candidates who bookmark only one of those sites miss either the residency-and-Praxis narrative or the electronic filing rules. The Teacher Certification Help Portal is the Department’s published channel for case-specific questions.

The yearlong residency is the structural center of both undergraduate and post-baccalaureate pathways. LouisianaBelieves describes a competency-based curriculum plus a yearlong teaching residency rather than a short student-teaching block. Traditional candidates are not teachers of record on a Practitioner License; they hold a Resident Teacher certificate while finishing the program. Confusing residency with the Practitioner Teacher alternate path is the most common planning error for career changers who still need a bachelor’s degree.

Praxis content remains mandatory even where Praxis Core has receded. The Department’s 2022 waiver materials stated Praxis Core is not required for Resident, Practitioner, or initial Level certificates, while Praxis content is required for Practitioner License issuance and for initial Level 1/2/3 certificates. The current Praxis chart still maps content tests by grade band and, for elementary and specified special education areas, Teaching of Reading. The chart publishes a 159 passing score for Teaching of Reading: Elementary (5205) for the current score window; later 7002 scores are listed on future effective dates and should be read from the live chart.

Out-of-state teachers should expect a Praxis-or-OS fork, not automatic Level 1. Official out-of-state instructions issue Level 1 only after Louisiana Praxis/NTE requirements are met; otherwise the educator receives a three-year non-renewable OS certificate that still authorizes classroom employment in matching areas. That OS year is the window to post Louisiana scores, not a permanent parallel credential. Program verification must show student teaching, internship, or residency—exam-only out-of-state credentials are not the documented path.

Required exams and fees

Louisiana uses ETS Praxis content assessments (and Teaching of Reading where required). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Moving a license to Louisiana

Louisiana issues two credentials to holders of a standard out-of-state teaching certificate. A Level 1 professional certificate (three years) is issued when the applicant has met Louisiana Praxis requirements. An Out-of-State (OS) certificate is a standard three-year, non-renewable certificate issued when Praxis requirements have not yet been met, authorizing teaching in areas consistent with the out-of-state certificate. Out-of-state candidates must document a preparation program that included student teaching, internship, or residency. Apply through LEC with official documentation.

Official Louisiana reciprocity guidance