NLA Discussion: Adult ed certification Issues in LA

[PDWall at aol.com]

I figured out a while ago that good teachers are born and often difficult to, 
otherwise, produce.....with that said, I will provide for discussion the 
following information about Louisiana's adult ed teacher credentialing 
efforts.  As state policy, we are committed to expanding the numbers of 
instructors certified in adult education.  

First, all instructional funds--state and federal--in Louisiana are 
distributed by performance-based formula. I am not sure if the formula yet 
identifies the best delivery and outcomes for reward, but we continue to be 
open to "tweaking" it and invite programs each year to examine how the money 
is passed out.  Percentage of staff certified in adult education is rewarded 
in the funding formula, even though we know that single factor is difficult 
for community literacy programs.  

In Louisiana, a person with an education degree takes 12 hours of graduate 
credit, 3 hours of which is a practicum of some kind, to become certified.  
The state office has tried to ensure that a variety of opportunities exist to 
access the required coursework, such as television courses and intensive 
4-day trainings with follow-up assignments.  In August we offered three full 
days in the computer lab for "Using the Internet as the Content of Adult Ed 
Instruction" and now have the second half of the course offered in a 
'"virtual classroom" over the Internet with a professor from LSU. State 
leadership funds will pay tuition for all completing the course.

One problem is the lack of any difference in Louisiana in the hourly wages 
paid for certified teachers versus degreed but uncertified teachers.  All 
receive $15/hour, with most working part-time, of course.  So while programs 
are motivated to help teachers become certified because funding increases, 
individual teachers are not rewarded.  We are hoping the state professional 
association will work on that. We continue to look at options for 
certification of literacy volunteers, also.

In addition, one strategy to improve program quality stated in our Five Year 
Plan is, at least for the next few years, the requirement that all full-time 
teachers enroll in 15 clock hours of professional development, with part-time 
staff required to take 10 hours during the year.  Again, we try to provide 
much of this regionally so everyone has the opportunity to attend training.

We are open to further suggestions............

Pam Wall, Director
State Literacy Resource Center
LA Dept of Education