Welcome to the Louisiana Department of Education
About the Louisiana Department of Education
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) provides guidance and support to all publicly funded early childhood centers and elementary and secondary schools in Louisiana. Specifically, the department provides tools and resources to schools and school systems to support classroom instruction, assessments, workforce development and college and career preparation. Additionally, the department provides families and the public with transparent reporting of center, school, and school system performance and quality through the Louisiana School Finder.
To stay connected with the LDOE and receive updates on our work and our resources, visit our newsroom and our newsletter subscriptions page.
Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)
The LDOE is the administrative arm of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). BESE was established by the 1974 Louisiana Constitution. The Board is composed of 11 members: eight elected by the citizens of Louisiana’s eight BESE districts, and three appointed by the governor of Louisiana to represent the state at-large. Together, these members adopt and enact policies governing the elementary and secondary schools of Louisiana.
Louisiana's Education Priorities
Louisiana's education priorities maintain a clear focus on what matters most for academic achievement.
- Early childhood leading to kindergarten readiness
- Literacy instruction aligned to the Science of Reading
- Math instruction from foundational to advanced skills
- Opportunities ensuring a meaningful high school experience
- An effective teacher for every student
- Expand educational choice for students and families
Request Information
If you have questions, including public records requests, questions about licensure, or other types of inquiries, please see our contact us page.
Louisiana State Superintendent
Dr. Cade Brumley
Dr. Brumley is a Louisiana native who has dedicated his career to serving children, parents, and educators.
Back to the Basics
Louisiana's Education Priorities
From being ready to learn on the first day of kindergarten to thriving in a career, college
Employment Opportunities
Careers at LDOE
Join the Louisiana Department of Education as we strive for excellence.
Policy Guidance
State Advisory Groups
The LDOE facilitates over a dozen councils, committees, task forces, and other groups.
Tools for system leaders, classroom teachers and family members to support children on their literacy journey
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education launched an initiative today aimed at sparking a reading revival across the state. The new initiative, named Louisiana Literacy, provides system leaders, educators and families with practical tools and resources to support children on their literacy journey.
“Being able to read is a foundational goal in education and we must refocus efforts to support this basic need for students,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “Unfortunately, more than half the students in our elementary and middle grades are reading below level in Louisiana. These new supports will give leaders, educators and families resources to help our students and state move forward.”
The Department designed the statewide initiative to help ensure every child can read on grade level and graduate ready to succeed after high school. Only 40 percent of Louisiana kindergarteners, 42 percent of first graders, 48 percent of second graders and 50 percent of third graders are on or above grade level in literacy according to the statewide fall reading report. This represents multiple years of literacy declines. Further, only 46 percent of students have mastered ELA content by the end of their third grade year. Louisiana Literacy provides literacy supports for teachers, leaders and families that emphasize high-quality instruction and resources based on the science of reading.
School systems, schools and families can now access resources on the LDOE website. While this initial round of resources focuses on early literacy and foundational skills, the Department is developing tools for all grade levels. Current online resources include:
- Literacy goals, local literacy plans and a school system literacy roadmap
- Facilitation of literacy Professional Learning Communities
- Literacy implementation for leaders and teachers
- Classroom libraries
- Literacy schedules and classroom practices
- Phonological awareness activity cards
- Family literacy engagement strategic plan for schools and school systems
- Literacy activities for families
- Family literacy engagement survey sample
In addition to the online resources, the Department will provide professional development customized to support specific schools, students and curriculum. The Department is also working with school systems to implement the program’s four foundational pillars. Louisiana’s Literacy Pillars are:
- Student literacy outcomes will increase when schools create and monitor literacy goals.
- Literacy outcomes will improve when students are provided high-quality core instruction together with explicit literacy interventions and extensions based on individual student needs.
- Ongoing professional growth is an essential component of effective teaching and literacy development.
Families play an essential role in the literacy development of children at all ages and stages. Louisiana Literacy is aligned with the Department’s priority to provide the highest quality teaching and learning environment from birth through graduation.
Literacy refers to the ability to read and write, but it includes many other skills including spelling, speaking and comprehending. Literacy is not just limited to English Language Arts classrooms. Strong literacy skills are needed to succeed in reading and understanding math problems, social studies and science lessons, and directions on any task or activity.
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