Alternative Teacher Certification in Louisiana

Louisiana alternative 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

   Hold a bachelor’s degree and meet GPA or interview rules

   The Practitioner Teacher Alternate Certification Program is for baccalaureate-degree holders. Admission requires a 2.5 undergraduate GPA on a 4.0 scale, or—if admitted on or after December 21, 2019 with a lower GPA—a successful interview with the program’s admissions officer, per LA R.S. 17:7.1 A.3.

   Source: teachlouisiana.net

2. 2

   Pass Praxis content (and any remaining admission exams)

   Teach Louisiana requires passing scores on the Praxis II content-specific examination. The same page still lists Praxis Core with exemptions for a graduate degree, ACT composite 22, or a qualifying SAT combined score. Department 2022 policy updates stated Praxis Core is not required to issue a Practitioner License, while Praxis content is required.

   Source: teachlouisiana.net

3. 3

   Enroll with an approved university or private provider and receive a PL1

   Enter a state-approved Practitioner Teacher Program offered by a higher-education institution or private provider. Candidates are issued Practitioner License 1 (PL1) upon entering the program and a Level 1 Professional License after completing all program requirements. Areas include PK–3, 1–5, 4–8, 6–12, selected all-level K–12 fields, and mild/moderate special education.

   Source: teachlouisiana.net

4. 4

   Teach on PL1 while completing required hours each year

   PL1 is valid for one school year and may be renewed annually up to three years. The candidate must remain enrolled, complete at least six semester hours or equivalent contact hours per year (to the extent hours remain), fulfill teaching assignments, and complete prescribed provider activities. Published program length is 27–33 credit hours (315–450 contact hours) for most bands and 24–33 credit hours (360–495 contact hours) for PK–3.

   Source: teachlouisiana.net

5. 5

   Apply in LEC for the Level 1 professional certificate

   When the Practitioner Teacher Program, exams, and residency/mentoring requirements are complete, apply through LEC for the Level 1 professional license. Practitioner License and initial certification are separate applications. Full policy is in Bulletin 746, Chapter 2, §233.

   Source: teachlouisiana.net

Louisiana’s alternate family is broader than PL1 alone. Teach Louisiana’s Practitioner Teacher page is the streamlined “teach while finishing” path. Bulletin 746 also recognizes master’s-degree and certification-only alternate programs that historically mapped to PL2/PL3. Those variants share the idea of a practitioner credential while enrolled, but hour minimums and provider types differ (university versus non-university private provider). Candidates should ask the provider which Practitioner License number LEC will issue before signing an employment contract.

The yearly six-hour rule is the enrollment proof EPSB-equivalent agencies care about. PL1 renewal is not automatic: the candidate must remain in the Practitioner Teacher Program and complete at least six semester hours or equivalent contact hours each year unless fewer hours remain in the program, plus teaching assignments and prescribed activities. Letting enrollment lapse while still employed is how practitioners lose the license before the three-year maximum.

GPA flexibility is statutory, not informal. LA R.S. 17:7.1 A.3 sets the 2.5 undergraduate GPA and, for admissions on or after December 21, 2019, allows a lower GPA if the candidate completes an interview with the program’s admissions officer. That interview is a documented admissions event, not a hallway conversation. Providers still apply their own additional admission screens.

Fee amounts are intentionally omitted from numeric fields here. Older Teach Louisiana processing-protocol and application PDFs listed $50 initial processing fees and a lower Practitioner License renewal fee, but the live certfees.pdf chart did not resolve at retrieval. LEC now collects payment inside the portal. Until the Department republishes a current public fee table, treat any third-party dollar figure as unverified and check the LEC checkout screen.

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

The Practitioner License is for candidates enrolled in a Louisiana-approved alternate program. Out-of-state licensed teachers use the OS / Level 1 process on Teach Louisiana rather than a PL. Out-of-state alternate-only credentials are evaluated against Bulletin 746; exam-only certificates are not the documented Louisiana path.

Official Louisiana reciprocity guidance