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.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is seeking public comment on the state’s proposed 2020-2021 school year accountability waiver from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, the United States Department of Education is allowing states flexibility to pause federal accountability for the 2020-2021 academic year. Consequently, LDOE is seeking a waiver because of the catastrophic interruptions to traditional education methods and strategies that have harmfully impacted academic outcomes and achievement, as evidenced by the spring 2021 results from the Louisiana Education Assessment Program (LEAP 2025). At this time, 46 states (including the District of Columbia) have received a waiver for accountability from the United States Department of Education.
The deadline for public comment is September 14, 2021.
As part of the waiver request, LDOE proposes to freeze the current ESSA designations assigned to struggling schools in 2019 for the 2020-2021 school year. For example, systems with schools that are currently identified as “Comprehensive Intervention Required” or “Urgent Intervention Required or Needed” would continue with these designations from the prior year. Furthermore, there would be no additional “Comprehensive Intervention Required” or “Urgent Intervention Required or Needed” labels assigned to schools in 2021-2022 based on the results from the 2020-2021 school year.
While the waiver allows for a freeze in school accountability, LDOE remains fully committed to transparent reporting of critical data. The Louisiana School Finder website will be updated with the latest data except School Performance Scores and letter grades. Data displayed will include discipline, attendance, school spending, and students on track to mastery. In turn, schools and systems will be able to use all data collected, from the 2020-2021 academic year, to inform instructional planning and design strategic supports and interventions.
Send public comments to accountability@la.gov.
If you have additional questions regarding the waiver, please contact jennifer.baird@la.gov.
# # # #