Louisiana New Teacher Mentoring Program

Mentoring Isn't Optional

Every new teacher working toward a standard Level 1 Professional Certificate in Louisiana must complete a mentored teaching experience. This isn't a recommendation — it's a Bulletin 746 requirement that your employing school district must verify through the LEC portal before you can advance to Level 2.

The mentoring requirement applies whether you came through a traditional preparation program, a Practitioner Teacher Program, a Certification-Only path, or any other alternative route. If you hold a Temporary Authority to Teach (TAT), Temporary Employment Permit (TEP), or Practitioner License, you're also assigned a mentor.

How the Mentor Assignment Works

Your school district's HR department handles the mentor assignment, not the state. LDOE sets the regulatory framework — districts implement it.

Your assigned mentor must be:

• A certified mentor teacher
• Assigned and documented through your employing school system's process

The mentor provides school-based coaching, observes your classroom instruction, and helps you navigate the evaluation process. For alternative certification candidates on a Practitioner License, the mentor serves as both an instructional coach and the bridge between your preparation program and the realities of the classroom.

What Mentoring Looks Like in Practice

The state-level requirement is described as "continuous school-based mentoring," with districts managing implementation and verification. In practice, this typically involves:

• Regular classroom observations by your mentor (formal and informal)
• Structured feedback conversations on lesson planning, classroom management, and instruction
• Support preparing for your annual evaluation under the Compass or LEADS system
• Documentation that your district submits to the state database

For Associate Teacher permit holders, the requirements are more structured: mandatory participation in weekly teacher collaborations and annual evaluations, with the mentor playing a formal coaching role throughout the permit period.

The Connection to Level 2 Advancement

Mentoring supports the Level 2 advancement process, but the three state criteria are:

1. Three years of full-time teaching experience in your certified area
2. Three years of effective evaluation ratings (2.5 or higher on the four-point scale)
3. Completion of a state-approved teacher induction program or the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (TAPP)

Your district's HR office verifies induction program completion through the LEC portal. Mentoring is implemented and tracked locally as well, so if either verification is missing, your Level 2 application can stall.

Check with your HR department proactively. Ask them to confirm that your mentoring attestation and induction completion are documented in the state system before you start the advancement application.

District Variation

The quality and structure of mentoring varies significantly between parishes. Large districts like East Baton Rouge and Jefferson Parish have formal induction programs with scheduled mentor-teacher observations, professional development workshops, and structured evaluation cycles. Smaller rural parishes may operate more informally.

Regardless of how your district structures the program, implementation and verification are managed locally. If you transfer districts mid-mentoring, make sure your new district acknowledges the mentoring hours you completed at your previous school.

For Alternative Certification Candidates

If you're in a Practitioner Teacher Program or Certification-Only Program, you have two layers of oversight: your preparation provider and your school-based mentor. The provider handles your coursework and program completion, while the mentor handles classroom coaching.

Both parties need to complete their respective verifications in the LEC portal for your certification application to proceed. The preparation provider must upload a formal admission verification, and the district must upload the mentoring attestation and Intent to Employ form. If either party hasn't completed their section, your application sits in limbo.

The Louisiana Teacher Certification Guide includes a communication log worksheet designed for coordinating between your preparation provider, school mentor, and district HR — the three-party coordination that determines how quickly your certification processes.

See more Louisiana guides →