Louisiana State University at Alexandria’s teacher education unit promotes quality instruction, stimulating scholarship, strong academic performance, high ethical standards, and active service with the goal of positively impacting the lives of future teachers, their students, and citizens in the surrounding communities. The unit provides program completers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to become proactive educators who are determined to meet the academic, linguistic, social, and physical needs of all learners. A rigorous academic curriculum, extensive and varied field experiences, professional development activities, and opportunities to serve others develop such educators. The education unit emphasizes life-long learning, the appreciation of cultural diversity, and the inherent right of all to quality educational experiences.
Accreditation
Louisiana State University at Alexandria is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). All of LSUA’s teacher preparation programs are approved by the Board of Regents and the Louisiana Department of Education.
Additionally, the Department of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). NCATE is officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accrediting body for institutions that prepare teachers and other professional personnel for work in preschool, elementary, and secondary schools. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) also recognizes NCATE. Through its voluntary, peer review process, NCATE helps to ensure that accredited institutions produce competent, caring, and qualified teachers and other professional school personnel who can help all students learn.
To achieve NCATE accreditation teacher education units are subjected to an external intense review by professionals. During the review process, teacher education units must provide evidence that the rigorous NCATE standards are met through analyses and use of data from numerous and varied assessments. More information regarding NCATE can be found at www.ncate.org.
Additionally, all of LSUA’s teacher preparation programs are approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents and the Louisiana Department of Education. The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and the Certification-Only Program to Alternative Path (Grades 1-5) are nationally recognized by the Association of Childhood Education International (ACEI). The other LSUA teacher education programs are currently undergoing review for national recognition by their respective professional organizations.