La. Teacher Certification Declines

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Just 54 teachers in Louisiana achieved certification in 2012 from a well-regarded national teaching organization.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced the results Monday. The totals are down from 102 in 2011 and 148 in 2010.

Louisiana's peak for nationally certified teachers was 250 teachers in 2005.

The downward trend is likely to continue, at least in Louisiana.

Michelle Accardi, director of state policy and outreach, said the number of new Louisiana applicants for certification for 2013 is down 60 percent from where it was a year ago.

Accardi said the poor economy has probably made it harder for teachers to afford the $2,500 fee associated with national board certification.