This text of Louisiana § 17:7.8 (Associate educator program; authority; rules; participant requirements) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
§7.8. Associate educator program; authority; rules; participant requirements
A.
(1)The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education may provide for the
associate educator program through which a governing authority of a public elementary or
secondary school may authorize certain individuals with associate's degrees to serve as
teachers.
(2)The state board shall promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the
Administrative Procedure Act for the implementation and administration of this Section and
may provide by rule for additional qualifications and requirements for the program that are
not inconsistent with this Section.
(3)A governing authority may establish stricter participation requirements than those
provided pursuant to this Section or by the rules promulgated by the
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§7.8. Associate educator program; authority; rules; participant requirements
A.(1) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education may provide for the
associate educator program through which a governing authority of a public elementary or
secondary school may authorize certain individuals with associate's degrees to serve as
teachers.
(2) The state board shall promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the
Administrative Procedure Act for the implementation and administration of this Section and
may provide by rule for additional qualifications and requirements for the program that are
not inconsistent with this Section.
(3) A governing authority may establish stricter participation requirements than those
provided pursuant to this Section or by the rules promulgated by the state board.
B. An individual who serves as a teacher through the program authorized by this
Section, referred to in this Section as a "participant", shall:
(1) Have an associate's degree from an accredited college or university.
(2) Be continuously enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program at an
accredited college or university for the purpose of obtaining a bachelor's degree.
(3) Be at least twenty-five years of age.
(4) Meet all other qualifications provided pursuant to this Section, board rules, or
requirements of the governing authority.
C. An individual shall not participate in the program for more than five years.
D.(1) A participant shall be employed to teach only in the content area related to the
participant's associate's degree.
(2) A participant shall not teach in a class for students with identified
exceptionalities, unless the students are identified as gifted or talented.
E. For a participant enrolled in an approved teacher education program, the hours
spent teaching as a participant shall count towards the student teaching hours required
pursuant to R.S. 17:8.1.
F. No more than ten percent of the teaching staff of the governing authority shall be
program participants.
G. The salary paid to a participant shall not exceed seventy-five percent of the
average yearly classroom teacher salary of the employing school system.
H. Subject to the appropriation of funds for such purpose, the governing authority
shall assign a mentor teacher to a participant for the purposes of providing on-site teacher
training, demonstrating lessons, co-teaching, observation, and providing feedback for
improving instruction.
I. Each participant shall participate in weekly teacher collaborations.
J. The governing authority shall conduct a criminal history record check in
accordance with R.S. 17:15 and R.S. 15:587.1 prior to allowing a participant to work as a
teacher.
K. The state board shall evaluate the effectiveness of the program and report its
findings and conclusions to the legislature no later than December 29, 2028. The report shall
be submitted to the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library as required by R.S.
24:771 and 772.
L. The provisions of this Section shall terminate on December 31, 2033.