LAC 28:XLV.401. Ongoing Approval of Teacher and Leader Preparation Programs [Formerly §1101]

A. In order to offer a state-approved teacher preparation program that allows teachers to become certified by the LDOE, teacher preparation providers shall follow the process/procedures detailed in Chapter 3 of this document. To maintain continued state approval, university and non-university providers must maintain effective ratings on the Louisiana teacher preparation quality rating system. B. The LDOE shall annually produce and make publicly available a performance profile for each approved preparation provider that includes information at the pathway level. The LDOE shall biennially produce and make publicly available a quality rating for each approved preparation provider at the pathway level. C. Renewal decisions shall be made every two years and shall be based on the quality rating produced biennially. D. Teacher preparation providers that do not maintain a quality rating of level 3 or above on the Louisiana teacher preparation quality rating system and as reported in the biennial quality rating shall: 1. undergo a progress monitoring period during which the provider develops an improvement plan that includes specific improvement goals, timelines, and measures of success for particular pathway(s) or program(s). The improvement plan shall be reviewed and approved by the LDOE and submitted to BESE. The provider shall submit progress reports to the LDOE; 2. The LDOE shall review data outlined in the improvement plan and the Louisiana teacher preparation quality rating system to inform required interventions, which shall include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: a. require the provider to enact certain improvement recommendations for one or more pathways or programs; b. designate program(s) as low performing and at risk of low performance per the federal Higher Education Act; c. limit or discontinue enrollment for one or more pathways or programs; d. discontinue the provider’s ability to recommend teacher candidates for certification in one or more pathways or programs; e. require the provider to engage in additional on-site reviews during the four year accountability cycle for one or more pathways. E. Mentor Teacher and Content Leader Certification Preparation. In order to offer state-approved mentor teacher or content leader training that prepares individuals to earn a mentor teacher ancillary certificate or a content leader ancillary certificate in accordance with LAC 28:CXXXI (Bulletin 746), providers must follow the process detailed in Chapter 3 of this Part. To maintain continued state approval, providers must demonstrate that training participants are earning effective ratings on the Mentor Teacher and Content Leader Portfolio Assessments. F. Mentor Teacher and Content Leader Provider Effectiveness. By no later than December 1, 2019, and biennially thereafter, the LDOE will review and report to BESE effectiveness data of each approved provider offering mentor teacher or content leader training. Effectiveness data will include Louisiana Mentor Teacher and Content Leader Portfolio Assessments passage rates and may include additional information. Based upon these results, BESE may require an improvement plan or may discontinue the provider’s ability to recommend candidates for mentor teacher or content leader certification. G. Corrective Action. The LDOE shall place an approved educator preparation provider into corrective action status, due to noncompliance with BESE policy, failure to meet established performance expectations, and/or conditions that impact the quality of candidate preparation or student outcomes. 1. A formal notice shall be issued to the provider that outlines the documentation for corrective action and the specific action items required to address the identified status. 2. During the corrective action period, the provider shall engage a third-party auditor approved by LDOE to evaluate program quality and implementation. The provider shall be responsible for all costs associated with the audit. 3. While in corrective action status, the provider is prohibited from submitting new program proposals for BESE consideration. 4. Corrective action status shall remain in effect for a minimum of one year. The provider shall not be released from corrective action until the LDOE verifies that all required action items have been satisfactorily addressed and program performance meets established expectations.