Professional Development, Training, and Education

The ECE Institute is committed to connecting practitioners with robust in-person and distance professional development training. LSU also offers undergraduate degree programs and alternative certification programs for early childhood education. 

Early Childhood Education Professional Development Series

Time is always in short supply for both early care and education providers and administrators. The LSU Early Childhood Education Institute seeks to be a resource for both providers and administrators through the development of targeted trainings that meet state requirements, translate research to practice, are time-efficient, are accessible, and are on-demand. 

Our focused trainings address both recommended practices in the field of early care and education in a format that is accessible to working providers. All trainings will adhere to continuing education topics, as specified in Louisiana Bulletin 137, and will be delivered by an approved Pathways trainer. Each training provides 2.0 Pathways clock hours: 60 minutes of training coupled with independent activities associated with the training topic. Pathways clock hours are granted upon successful completion of post-training assessment.

The 2023 Inspiration Institute Professional Development Series is scheduled to launch this upcoming year. Check back here for details and registration information.

Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate (ECAC)

ECAC is a professional credential issued by the Louisiana Department of Education for teachers currently working in early learning centers. All new lead teachers working in Type III licensed child care centers are required to have the Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate (ECAC) as a minimum credential beginning July 2019. Lead teachers in Type III child care centers will be required to have the certificate within 24 months of their start date as a lead teacher. Administrators of the LSU Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool (ECELP) will serve as program instructors. Please contact ecac@lsu.edu for additional information.

LEARN MORE + GET STARTED with the ECAC

CLASS Toddler Reliability Training

The ECEI offers the CLASS Toddler Reliability 2-day Training in a virtual format. CLASS® Observation Training is designed to support observers in reliably measuring the quality of educator-child interactions.

Participants in CLASS® Observation Training will:

  • Understand how to use the CLASS tool to effectively measure interactions
  • Practice observing and scoring classroom interactions
  • Receive exclusive access to resources and support to help earn and maintain certification

MARK YOUR CALENDAR for the upcoming CLASS® Toddler Reliability Training dates:

  • June 26-27, 2025
  • October 2-3, 2025
  • February 26-27, 2026
  • June 25-26, 2026

CLASS® Toddler Reliability Registration

EdCamp

EdCamps are free, participant-driven events where educators collaboratively decide discussion topics on the day of the event. Sessions focus on shared experiences and conversations rather than formal presentations, fostering a collaborative learning environment. The event is held at the LSU Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, 8:30am-11:30am. 

EdCamp Dates:

  • February 15, 2025
  • April 12, 2025
  • July 12, 2025
  • October 4, 2025 

Teacher Alternative Certification B-K and PK-3

LSU offers two alternative certification program paths for early childhood educators: B-K and PK-3. Both programs are approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and are in alignment with the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Each program is 33 credit hours.

Learn More about the Alternative Certification Programs

Bachelor of Science in Curriculum & Instruction: Early Childhood Education
B-K Teacher Certification and PK-3 Teacher Certification

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Programs at LSU are recognized by NAEYC and are designed with the organization's professional preparation standards in mind. Teacher candidates can choose either B-K Teacher Certification or PK-3 Teacher Certification. Both certification areas move through the program in cohorts, gaining the advantage of collegial relationships found to be effective for both personal and professional growth. Candidates participate in field-based professional blocks and student teaching in diverse professional development school settings. By the time you finish your LSU ECE degree, you will have accrued experience across birth through 3rd grade, including working with children with exceptionalities. 

LEARN MORE about the LSU School of Education programs for Early Childhood Education

ECE Research-to-Practice Pipeline

In an effort to translate birth-to-three research to practice, the ECEI has begun offering a professional development series for graduate students to work on practice dissemination from ECEI researcher's work. Our goal is to both provide research-based practitioner content while building the CV of our graduate students. During a monthly meeting, we will be using this format each semester:

  • Each GA/graduate student selects a research article authored by an ECEI Researcher (focus on B-3)
  • Creates a practitioner presentation, focusing on the research from the article (can include other research on same topic) in collaboration with researcher
  • Submits to multiple practice conferences
  • Transitions presentation into a practice article and submits for publication
  • Creates multiple social media post across the semester highlighting the researcher's work

Interested in joining us? Email the ECEI Coordinator for more information.

 

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