Career Coaching

Overview and Objectives
Fueling Louisiana's economy starts with equipping our youth with hands-on, practical skills. A seamless,
top-tier technical training network is vital for preparing local students for high-priority jobs while
satisfying the hiring needs of regional businesses. Within this system, high school career coaches can
serve as the critical bridge connecting classrooms to local industries, guiding students toward high-wage
opportunities and turning classroom learning into statewide economic strength. By providing personalized
guidance, these professionals help students navigate Louisiana's unique graduation pathways, align their
skills with high-demand regional sectors, and secure the industry-based credentials necessary to
transition seamlessly from high school into the state's workforce.
Career coaches can help students connect their interests with long-term goals, building the foundation
for post-graduation success. Regardless of a student's graduation pathway or postsecondary plans,
high-quality career coaching will enable them to understand, explore, and engage with a variety of
opportunities linked to a higher probability of long-term success.
ACT 413 & ACT 144
ACT 413 (2026) includes career coaches in the process of developing, updating, and maintaining
Ind ividual Graduation Plans (IGPs) for students in grades 8-12. The Louisiana Department of Education
(LDOE) will provide professional development and in-service training opportunities for school counselors
and/or career coaches on developing IGPs.
Career coaches will be able to assist students in choosing their high school curriculum framework and
related graduation requirements that best meet their postsecondary goals. Career coaches will have the
autonomy and responsibility to meet with students and parents regarding changes or updates made to
their IGPs.
Career coaches will also be able to provide support for the new career awareness requirements enacted
by ACT 144 (2026). Career coaching will align classroom learning to real-world jobs available via a variety
of pathways. Informing students of career and college options early will allow students to make the most
informed decisions post-graduation. As the trades are critically important to our state's future economic
success, students will learn how technical skills acquired in CTE courses connect to post-secondary
education options.
RFA Application/Selection Process
The table below outlines the RFA process for the Louisiana Career Coaching model. Approved applications
will be reviewed periodically by the LDOE. To apply to become a LDOE-approved Career Coaching provider,
please follow the gu idance docu ment to create your My.L A and LDOE Professional Learning Partner
Accounts. Information regarding persons or organizations selected through this RFA will be provided to
school systems for informational purposes only. Any contractual agreements that result from this RFA
will be between Louisiana schools or school districts that choose to enter into contracts with approved
vendors, and the schools or school districts are responsible for ensuring that their contracting processes
comply with any applicable federal procurement law, state procurement law, and local school/school
district procurement policies.
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 2

Louisiana Career Coaching Provider RFA Process
Step 1 Career coaching applicants submit an application. New users must create an
account and select the Louisiana Career Coaching Provider RFA.
The LDOE schedules and convenes review panels each year to review applications.
Step 2
Rejected applicants receive feedback and will have one opportunity to reapply
during a future review cycle.
Step 3 Approved Career coaching providers will be added as options in the Career
Coaching Vendor Guide.
2026-2027 Review Cycle
Review Cycle Timeline: Submission and Review Process
October 1, 2026 The submission window opens.
October 31, 2026 The submission window closes.
November 1-30, 2026 The LDOE leads teams of reviewers in the state review process.
Required Application Components and Format
Career Coaching applicants submit an application through the LDOE Request for Applications (RFA)
platform powered by Canopy Education. No cover letters, executive summaries, or organizational
marketing materials will be accepted. Please upload your submission documents in PDF format.
Career Coaching Vendor Template: Required Components Description
Section Application Section Template Section Components
Contact information
Organization overview
Mission statement
1 Career Coach Organization Founding year
Information
Corporate structure
Operations
Supervision
Data security and technology compliance
Summary of career coaching experiences
A list of Louisiana schools the organization has contracted
Organization Goals and
2
with and a detailed description of the scope and scale of
Background
work being done with the system, if applicable
Quality measurement of career coach services
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 3

Approach to:
Facilitating career interest inventories and assisting
students in connecting interests to outcomes
Facilitating career awareness activities for students as
mandated by ACT 144 (2026)
IGP support for 8th-12th grade students
Post-secondary planning support linked to Louisiana
initiatives (TOPS Awards, TOPS Tech, CTE, Dual
Enrollment, Certificates of Technical Studies, and
Advanced Credentials)
Parental Engagement
Data management system to track and report student
progress and outcomes
Method of instruction/technologies used to deliver career
coaching materials and platforms
Note: For virtual career coach vendors, providers must
Organization Description
3
provide LDOE and school system leaders with open
and Scope of Services
access to career coach vendor session links to observe
sessions for monitoring and quality assurance.
Qualifications of Career Coaches if providing this service as
a vendor
Background checks must align with the school system's
expectations
Career Coaching effectiveness
Monitoring
Evaluation
Support
Training
Scope of services:
Number of coaches
Coach-to-student ratio
Supporting students with English as a second language
Supporting students with disabilities
Plan includes how the provider will engage and collaborate
with school system leaders and school leaders about
Each student's progress and needs
Coherence between school counseling services
4 Engagement and Support
requirements of the IGP continuum, Louisiana initiatives,
and career coaching services
Students' performance data to effectively group
students
5 References Letters of reference from heads of organizations that provide
evidence of results.
Liability insurance
Youth safeguard training and clearances
6 Risk Clearances
Background checks
Adherence to student privacy laws
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 4

Instructional Materials
Scope and Sequence
7 Appendix
Guides/Manuals/Lesson Plans
Student Materials
Signature and date verifying that the provider's application is
Certify Application
complete and ready for submission.
Application Evaluation Criteria
LDOE provides rigorous evaluation criteria for RFA applications. Applications are evaluated based on:
1. Ability of the provider to help Louisiana achieve key education goals.
2. Commitment of the provider to serve young learners, including English learners and students with
disabilities.
3. Quality career coaching, coherence with Louisiana priorities, and proposed instructors.
4. Commitment of the provider to engage stakeholders.
All determinations whether or not an application meets these evaluation criteria will be indicated on a
"Pass/Not Pass" basis. The LDOE will interpret these evaluation criteria as indicated in the table below.
How the Evaluation Criteria will be Assessed:
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Sub-Components
Section 1: Provider's information 1a) Provider's organization information aligns with Louisiana's key
and mission align with Louisiana's
educational goals and priorities.
key educational goals and
1b) Provider's organizational mission aligns with Louisiana's
priorities.
educational goals and aims at ensuring students are
prepared beyond high school.
1c) Provider includes founding year and corporate structure.
Section 2: Provider communicates 2a) Provider's organizational goals align with Louisiana's key
organizational goals and
educational goals.
background.
2b) Provider has relevant experience to conduct the work.
Provider has a history of completing work effectively
and/or has favorable reviews.
2c) Provider includes a brief description of Outcomes-Based
Contracting experience.
2d) Provider includes a plan for quality measurement of the
organization's services. Include specific data collected.
Section 3: Provider demonstrates 3a) Provider's methodology and approach blends hands-on
the ability to achieve key career
learning with interactive experiences.
coaching goals.
3b) Provider communicates a sound strategy to support learning
graduation pathways, career interests, the alignment of
academics and career, and soft skills through specific
progress monitoring.
3c) Provider communicates a strategy to prepare students in
grades six through eight for high school by incorporating
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 5

activities that expose them to career and technical education
and academic fields of study.
3d) Provider details a strategy to provide students with the
required career awareness activities in Kindergarten through
grade eight.
3e) Provider communicates a strategy to introduce students to
high-demand regional occupations in Louisiana.
3f) Provider communicates a strong strategy to support districts
in providing all (TOPS U and TOPS Tech) students with
postsecondary career/educational advising.
3g) Provider describes the data management system used to
track and report student attendance, progress, and
outcomes.
Provider includes examples of data management system
reports or dashboards that illustrate student outcomes.
3h) Provider presents a clear plan for using technology to deliver
services. Note: For virtual career coaching, providers must
provide LDOE and school system leaders with open access to
career coaching session links to observe sessions for
monitoring and quality assurance.
3i) Provider lists reasonable qualifications, hiring process, and
background checks for coaches.
All coaching must be provided by an individual who
meets at least one of the following criteria:
Trained staff understanding all requirements of
career coaching, including but not limited to
graduation pathways, graduation requirements, and
work-based learning.
Current or retired teachers.
Trained paraprofessionals.
3j) Provider describes a plan to assess career coaching
effectiveness. The plan includes how career coaches will be
monitored, evaluated, and supported.
3k) Provider includes career coach training requirements.
3l) Provider includes the current number of available career
coaches and the maximum career coach-to-student ratio for
sessions.
3m) Provider is committed to serving all learners, including
students with disabilities and English Learners.
Section 4: Provider engages, 4a) Provider will describe a plan for collaborating with school
communicates, and collaborates
system leaders, school leaders, school counselors, and CTE
with all stakeholders.
supervisors to ensure instructional coherence.
4b) Provider describes a plan for collaborating with school and
district personnel on student goals and performance data.
4c) Provider describes a plan with system and school leaders on
collaborating with students and parents.
4d) Provider describes plans for scheduling events for all
stakeholders that will connect students with schools, training
programs, and employers in one place.
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 6

Section 5: References All references attached should be one-page documents. Provider
includes:
5a) Letter of support from any organizations that have used the
provider's career coaching services.
5b) Letter of support with evidence of results for implementing a
career coaching model.
5c) Provide proof of LLC or corporate structure.
Section 6: Risk Clearances Providers should provide the following for the company and staff:
6a) Proof of General and Professional liability insurance.
6b) Youth safeguards such as appropriate training and
clearances.
6c) Completed background checks, fingerprinting, and child abuse
registry clearances for all staff.
6d) Signed compliance documentation ensuring adherence to
student data privacy laws.
6e) Providers using Artificial Intelligence (AI) must agree with the
following data privacy statement: "No student's personally
identifiable or confidential data shall be shared in an AI
system."
Providers must submit a signed statement on official
organizational letterhead, addressed to LDOE, confirming
that:
No student's personally identifiable or confidential
data will be shared with any AI system.
Provider agrees to submit the program for final
school system approval.
Section 7: Appendix Instructional Materials
7a) The provider will submit a structured curriculum that maps
directly to the most current guidelines of Louisiana's Bul leti n
138- Jump Start Program and Chapter 31 of Bu lleti n 741 -
Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, course
requirements, and graduation pathways.
The submitted curriculum will also detail how the coaching
model will fit into the LDOE Jump Start 2.0 Framework by
guiding students towards earning Industry-Based
Credentials (IBCs) that are recognized by the Louisiana
Workforce Investment Council and included on the Louisiana
IBC State Focus List.
The submitted curriculum will show how it supports
students pursuing an associate degree, technical certificate,
and university degree.
7b) Providers must include all materials necessary to implement
each career coaching session, including activities,
worksheets, assessments, and any other referenced
resources.
7c) The provider will submit explicit strategies showing how their
career coaching model can be scaled for students with IEPs,
504 Plans, or language barriers.
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 7

Scope and Sequence
7d) The provider will include detailed scope and sequence
documents for all grade levels 6-12. Each document will
outline the progression and alignment of information shared
with students depending on the grade level.
Student Materials
7e) The provider will include all materials that students will use
directly through coaching. This includes digital content,
workbooks, worksheets, assessments, and instructional
activities aligned to the scope of services.
Certify Application The provider will sign and date to certify that all information has
been read and understood. The signature also indicates that all
application responses are complete and accurate.
Evaluation Process Notes
LDOE will review each application based on the Evaluation Criteria.
Applicants must "pass" all seven eligibility standards to be accepted. In order to "pass," the
provider must meet each sub-component of that criterion.
A provider's application package will be accepted and listed on the Louisiana Career Coaching
page if:
the application achieves a "pass" on all seven evaluation criteria; and
the application conforms with all of the RFA's administrative and legal requirements.
LDOE will not consider appeals at any stage.
Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to submit new proposals during future RFA application
processes.
LDOE may observe approved programs and review resources periodically to ensure alignment with
career coaching program quality.
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 8

List of Appendices
Appendix 1: Miscellaneous Resources
Resource URL Link
Career and College Readiness: Ensuring
https://doe.louisiana. gov/school-system-leaders/ccr
a Meaningful High School Experience
https://doe.louisiana. gov/school-system-leaders/ccr/g
Louisiana's Graduation Requirements
r aduation-requirements
h ttps://doe.louisiana. gov/docs/default-source/career-
Louisiana's High School Planning
and-college-readiness/2026-2027-high-school-plannin
Guidebook
g -guidebook.pdf?sf vrsn=8dd4ec39_1
https://doe.louisiana. gov/educators/counselor-suppor
Individual Student Planning
t/individual-student-planning
h ttps://www.laworks.net/WorkforcePell/WFP_Metho
LA Works: Workforce Pell
dology.asp
https://doe.louisiana. gov/school-system-leaders/ccr/j
JumpStart Graduation Pathways
ump-start/jump-start-graduation-pathways
TOPS Award Info https://mylosfa.la. gov/tops/
Louisiana State Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education (BESE) h ttps://bese.louisiana. gov/policy
Policies and Bulletins
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 9

Appendix 2: Administrative
1. Application Time Frame
1.1. Applications are accepted during designated windows. All applicants are solely responsible for
ensuring their application is complete.
2. Applicant Code of Conduct
2.1. Applicants are responsible for determining that there will be no conflict or violation of the Ethics
Code once they begin working with students, schools, and families. Ethics issues are interpreted
by the Louisiana Board of Ethics.
3. Public Disclosure
3.1. All materials submitted in response to this request become the property of the State. Selection
or rejection of an application does not affect this right.
3.2. Only information that is in the nature of legitimate trade secrets or non-published financial data
may be deemed proprietary or confidential. Any material within an application identified as such
must be clearly marked in the application and will be handled in accordance with the Louisiana
Public Records Act, R.S. 44: 1-44, and applicable rules and regulations. Any application marked
as confidential or proprietary in its entirety may be rejected without further consideration or
recourse.
3.3. By submitting, the applicant grants the State of Louisiana Department of Education the right and
license to republish its application, if the Department so chooses, as an example or sample
application for the edification of other applicants.
4. Determination of Responsibility
4.1. Determination of the applicant's responsibility relating to this RFA shall be made according to
the standards set forth in LAC 34: 136. The State must find that the applicant:
4.1.1. Has adequate financial resources for performance, or has the ability to obtain such
resources as required during performance.
4.1.2. Has the necessary experience, organization, technical qualifications, skills, and facilities, or
has the ability to obtain them.
4.1.3. Is able to comply with the proposed or required time of delivery or performance schedule.
4.1.4. Has a satisfactory record of integrity, judgment, and performance.
4.1.5. Is otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations.
4.1.6. Applicants should ensure that their application contains sufficient information for the State
to make its determination by presenting acceptable evidence of the ability to perform the
services called for by this RFA.
5. Right to Prohibit Award
5.1. Any public entity is authorized to reject an application from, or not award the contract to, a
business in which any individual with an ownership interest of five percent or more has been
convicted of or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to any state felony or equivalent
federal felony crime committed in the solicitation or execution of a contract or bid awarded under
the laws governing public contracts under the provisions of Chapter 10 of Title 38 of the
Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, professional, personal, consulting, and social services
procurement under the provisions of Chapter 16 of this Title, or the Louisiana Procurement Code
under the provisions of Chapter 17 of this Title.
Louisiana Department of Education
doe.louisiana. gov | P.O. Box 94064 * Baton Rouge, LA * 70804-9064 Page 10