DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of
the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of
the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Thierry HB No. 1129
Abstract: Provides relative to professional development for certain categories of teachers based
on their years of service and other criteria; defines transfer, novice, emerging, provisional,
professional, and master teachers; provides for compensation of master teachers.
Present law requires local school boards to provide professional development opportunities and
assistance designed to enhance teaching competencies in accordance with State Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education rules to beginning teachers during their first three years of
employment. Proposed law retains present law except provides this requirement generally with
respect to teachers rather than limiting it to beginning teachers.
Present law requires a local board to provide targeted professional development to teachers to
address deficiencies identified in the evaluation process. Proposed law deletes present law and
provides the following:
Transfer teachers
Defines a "transfer teacher" as a teacher who was previously employed as a teacher by a public
school governing authority in the state or as a tenured or permanent teacher in a public school in
another state.
Novice teachers
(1)Defines "novice teacher" as a teacher who has been employed by a public school
governing authority for less than one year and who does not meet the proposed law
definition of emerging teacher, provisional teacher, professional teacher, or master
teacher. Includes a transfer teacher who has not completed a one-year term as a novice
teacher.
(2)Requires public school governing authorities to provide the following to novice teachers:
(a)An assigned "master teacher" mentor to provide the novice teacher guidance in his
professional growth and induction into the profession.
(b)Training in the components of effective teaching for at least two weeks before the
start of the school year. (c)A biweekly review of his effectiveness by the assigned mentor and a bimonthly
review of his effectiveness by an evaluator, both of whom shall use a variety of
assessment tools.
Emerging teachers
(1)Defines an "emerging teacher" as a teacher who has successfully completed a one-year
term as a novice teacher, has been employed by a public school governing authority for
fewer than three years, and does not meet the proposed law definition of provisional,
professional, or master teacher. Includes a transfer teacher who has successfully
completed a one-year term as a novice teacher and a transfer teacher who was previously
employed as a permanent or tenured teacher in a public school in another state.
(2)Requires that public school governing authorities provide the following to emerging
teachers:
(a)An assigned "master teacher" mentor to provide the emerging teacher guidance in
his professional growth and attainment of tenure or due process rights.
(b)A monthly review of his effectiveness by the assigned mentor and an evaluator
using a variety of assessment tools.
(c)Assistance with testing, measurement, and assessment of cognitive growth
planning and skill development. Multiple measures of student performance shall
be used to inform the assessment team as part of the review of the teacher's
growth in lesson planning and test preparation skills.
(d)Assistance with the reading, analysis, and interpretation of student data.
(e)Assistance with using curriculum and how to interface grade and subject content.
(f)Subject to the availability of funds for such purpose, a maximum three-week
summer institute at a public postsecondary education institution in the state at the
state's expense for credit toward a master's degree.
(g)Standards of performance, which shall be measured based upon a multiple-step
scale that shall range for each standard from "highly effective" to "ineffective".
Provisional teachers
(1)Defines a "provisional teacher" as a teacher who has been employed by a public school
governing authority between three and four years and who has not attained at least the
mid-range of effectiveness in all areas evaluated by the public school governing authority
by the second semester of his third year of employment. Includes a transfer teacher if the
transfer teacher was previously employed as a teacher by another public school governing authority in the state and attained tenure or due process rights.
(2)Requires public school governing authorities to provide provisional teachers with the
same assistance provided to emerging teachers.
Professional teachers
(1)Defines a "professional teacher" as a teacher who has been employed for more than three
years by the governing authority of a public elementary or secondary school, has been
evaluated by the governing authority at or above the effective rating for the duration of
his first three years of employment, and who has been granted tenure or due process
rights by the governing authority at the beginning of his fourth year or the beginning of
his fifth year after successfully completing his fourth provisional year.
(2)Provides that a "professional" teacher shall retain this status as long as he attains at least a
rating of effective in all areas evaluated by the public school governing authority and
when he becomes a master teacher.
(3)Requires public school governing authorities to provide the following to professional
teachers:
(a)Continuous and ongoing training in the components of effective teaching by a
master teacher.
(b)An evaluation framework that allows the professional teacher to continue to be
evaluated by his primary evaluator.
(c)The opportunity to become part of a teacher peer assistance team for novice
teachers, emerging teachers, and provisional teachers in his grade level or subject
area.
Master teachers
(1)Defines a "master teacher" as a teacher who has been employed as a classroom teacher for
more than seven years, has earned "effective" to "highly effective" ratings for four of
those years, has retained "effective accomplished" or "highly effective" ratings while
classified as a master teacher, has earned a master's degree, a doctorate degree, or
National Board Certification that is continuous and current, and has demonstrated service
to the teaching profession, professional organizations, and the community in which he is
employed.
(2)Requires master teachers to maintain proficiency in the components of effective teaching
and perform their proposed law duties.
(3)Provides that notwithstanding any present law to the contrary, a master teacher shall be compensated by the public school governing authority at a rate equal to 125% of the
compensation of teachers with equivalent education and experience.
(Amends R.S. 17:3885)