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.
Guidance Series to Support School Systems in Cross Departmental Planning to Improve Outcomes for Students With Disabilities
BATON ROUGE, La. – In January 2022, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released its first issue of Guidance for Leading Inclusive Special Education Programs: Leveraging Data to Align Budgets and Spending to Priorities. Tuesday, LDOE released its second issue: Creating Complaint Systems for Student Success.
“Now, more than ever, school systems are facing unprecedented challenges in meeting the emerging needs of students with disabilities,” said Dr. Jenna Chiasson, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. “These guidance documents provide school systems with practical and timely resources to work cross-departmentally to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.”
School systems face unique and complex challenges in improving outcomes for students with disabilities. Oftentimes, planning to address these needs are siloed within special education programs, which leads to less than effective outcomes for students with disabilities. This series will support school systems to improve special education programming by leveraging cross-departmental collaboration best practices. This series will cover a broad swath of topics, including stakeholder engagement, student-centered compliance practices, and strategies for effectively supporting the behavior needs of students with disabilities.
Each month, LDOE will release one guidance document and hold a webinar to support implementation. In partnership with and alongside school system leaders, special education leaders are invited to participate in an hour-long webinar on the topic of Creating Compliant Systems for Student Success on February 22 at 1 p.m.
This series was developed as a result of an expressed need from special educators for additional support to improve special education programming. Content for this series is adapted from SPED Fellow Academy (a comprehensive development program for novice special education leaders) and in partnership with a diverse group of advisors. Advisors are Special Education leaders across Louisiana who provide a unique perspective on the challenges facing school systems in meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Advisors include Lynn Hathaway from Ascension Public Schools, Dr. Shayla Guidry Hilarie from New Orleans Public Schools, Cheramie Kerth from St. Bernard Parish Public Schools, Dr. Sheila Lockett from Caddo Parish School Board, Mary Riley from Bienville Parish Schools, Emily Waterfield from KIPP New Orleans, and Roxane West from DeSoto Parish Schools.
“It is an honor to be a part of a project that starts with equity as the foundation for the work that we do as special education leaders,” said Dr. Shayla Guidry Hilaire, Chief Student and School Support Officer, New Orleans Public Schools. “The LDOE listened to the needs of special education leaders and created ongoing support that addresses those needs in an authentic way. Our special education community has experienced many challenges during the pandemic and these guidance materials and webinars provide hope during a time when educators are in need of ongoing support to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable learners.”
Guidance documents will be released in the Weekly School System Newsletter and posted to the School Improvement Library.
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