Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 7.00 - Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval › Section 7.02 - Definitions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
As used in
				603 CMR 7.00, the following
				terms shall have the following meanings:
Academic Discipline Appropriate to the
				Instructional Field of the License
: The subject knowledge
				specified in appropriate provisions of
				603 CMR
				7.06 for teacher licenses and in
				603 CMR
				7.07 for specialist teacher licenses.
Administrative
				Apprenticeship/Internship
: A comprehensive field-based learning
				experience of at least 300 hours in the role and at the level of the license
				sought, guided by a trained mentor who holds a Professional license in the same
				role. It shall provide seminars, workshops, and other opportunities for
				candidates to address the Professional Standards for Administrators set forth
				in
				603 CMR
				7.10 and prepare candidates for a Performance
				Assessment for Initial License. Such experience should be regularly spaced over
				the course of an academic year and may be completed as a paid or unpaid
				apprenticeship or as an internship while the candidate is employed as an acting
				administrator.
Aggregate Pass Rate
: The number of
				educator preparation program completers who passed all the Massachusetts Tests
				for Educator Licensure they took in a category of tests divided by the number
				of completers who took one or more of the tests in that category, expressed as
				a percent.
Alternative Preparation Organization
:
				An organization, other than an institution of higher education, that prepares
				individuals for educator licensure. The organization could be sponsored by a
				school district, educational collaborative, professional association, or other
				non-higher education institution.
Alternative within an Institution of Higher
				Education
: A non-degree post-baccalaureate educator preparation
				program leading to the Initial License.
Apprenticeship
: A paid or unpaid
				field-based experience of at least one semester in the role and at the level of
				the license sought, in a classroom with a supervising classroom teacher who
				holds a Professional license.
Approved Preparation Program
: A
				program approved by the Commissioner to prepare individuals for educator
				licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Assistive Technology
: Assistive
				technology devices and services as defined under the Individual with
				Disabilities Education Act,
				20
				USC §§
									1401(1),
				1401(2);
				34 CFR §§
									300.5,
				300.6.
Augmentative and Alternative
				Communication
: Methods of communication other than oral speech
				that enhance or replace conventional forms of expressive and receptive
				communication to facilitate interaction by and with persons with disabilities
				who are nonverbal or have limited speech including, but not limited to:
				specialized gestures and signs; communication aids such as charts, symbol
				systems, visual supports, and language boards; mouth sticks; and electronic
				communication devices such as switches, head pointers, eye tracking, dynamic
				displays, auditory scanning, and voice output devices.
Bachelor's Degree
: For an
				undergraduate student seeking a first teaching license, a Bachelor of Science
				or Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited college or university resulting
				from the completion of an undergraduate program in which the student has
				satisfactorily met the requirements for a major in one or more academic
				subjects in the arts or sciences or for a major appropriate to the
				instructional field of the license sought. For a post-baccalaureate student, a
				Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree resulting from the completion of
				an undergraduate program in which the student has satisfactorily met its
				requirements.
Bilingual Education
: An educational
				program that involves teaching academic content in two languages, English and
				another language. Program types determine the varying amounts of each language
				used in instruction. Bilingual education programs include dual language
				education or two-way immersion and transitional bilingual education programs,
				as defined in M.G.L. c. 71A, § 2, and any other bilingual program types
				that may be approved by the Department.
Board
: The Massachusetts Board of
				Elementary and Secondary Education.
Career Vocational Technical Teacher
:
				For purposes of Sheltered English Immersion, a teacher of a career vocational
				technical subject in a career vocational technical education program at the
				secondary level.
Career Vocational Technical Education
				Program
: For purposes of Sheltered English Immersion, a career
				vocational technical education program shall include programs approved under
				M.G.L. c. 74; programs that meet the definition of career and technical
				education listed in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education
				Improvement Act of 2006,
				20
				U.S.C. §
									2302(5); and
				any other programs that may be designated by the Commissioner.
Career Vocational Technical Subjects
:
				For purposes of Sheltered English Immersion, such subjects shall include
				automotive technology, carpentry, culinary arts, engineering, exploratory,
				masonry, information technology, and any other subjects listed by the
				Department in guidance.
Cohort
: For Title II of the Higher
				Education Act and state reporting purposes, any group of candidates who
				complete an educator preparation program from September
				1st through August 31st
				of any year.
Commissioner
: The Commissioner of
				Elementary and Secondary Education or his or her designee.
Communication and Literacy Skills
				Test
: The test of communication and literacy skills included in
				the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure.
Competency Review
: The process for
				determining whether the subject matter knowledge requirements for a license
				have been met in a field for which there is no subject matter knowledge test,
				using Department guidelines.
Core Academic Subjects
: English,
				reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and
				government, economics, arts, history, and geography.
Core Academic Teachers
: For purposes
				of Sheltered English Immersion instruction and Bilingual Education, early
				childhood and elementary teachers, teachers of students with moderate
				disabilities, teachers of students with severe disabilities, and teachers of
				the following academic subjects: English, reading or language arts,
				mathematics, science, civics and government, economics, history, and
				geography.
Department
: The Massachusetts
				Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Educator
: Any person employed by a
				school or school district in a position requiring a license.
Endorse
: The action taken by a
				sponsoring organization when a Program Completer has successfully completed all
				of the approved program requirements, regardless of whether or not the
				individual has taken or passed the Massachusetts Tests for Educator
				Licensure.
Endorsement
: A supplementary
				credential issued to an Educator licensed under
				603 CMR
				7.00, or a credential issued to an individual
				otherwise required by law or regulation to obtain such credential, indicating
				satisfactory knowledge and skills to perform services in the area(s)
				specified.
Enrolled
: The point at which an
				individual has met all the sponsoring organization's requirements to be
				formally admitted into the educator preparation program.
Field
: The subject, population, or
				professional role specified in the title of a license issued by the
				Department.
Field-based Experience
: Experiences
				such as observation of a variety of classrooms, pre-practicum,
				practicum/practicum equivalent, internship, apprenticeship, or administrative
				internship that are integral components of any program for the preparation of
				educators. Field-based experiences shall cover a range of time periods within
				the school year.
Guidelines
: All Guidelines identified
				in 603 CMR
				7.00, will be issued by the Department and approved by
				the Commissioner following a period of public comment that shall be a minimum
				of 30 days.
Inclusive General Education Classroom
				Experience
: A practicum that takes place in a classroom that
				serves both students with and without disabilities. The students with
				disabilities must be receiving some of their Individualized Education Program
				services in the classroom setting. The teacher candidate must address the
				individual and group needs of all of the students (with and without
				disabilities) who are assigned to the classroom and receive supervision from
				both a special educator and a general educator during the practicum.
Induction Program
: A planned program
				of professional support for new teachers and administrators provided by the
				school district, including orientation, opportunities for classroom observation
				and conferencing, and peer group meetings. An Induction Program should be an
				integral part of a school district's professional development plan.
Initial License
: An educator license
				issued to a person who has completed a bachelor's degree, passed the
				Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, completed an educator preparation
				program approved by the Commissioner, and met other eligibility requirements
				established by the Board. The Initial License is valid for five years of
				employment and may be extended at the discretion of the Commissioner for an
				additional five years. This license is equivalent to a provisional educator
				certificate with advanced standing as defined in M.G.L. c. 71, §
				38G.
Institution of Higher Education
: A
				college or university sponsored degree-granting educator preparation
				program.
Interim Review
: An on-site review
				conducted by the Department to determine whether an approved preparation
				program is meeting the standards and benchmarks set forth in
				603
				CMR 7.03(2) and (3) and the
Guidelines for Program Approval
.
Internship
: A paid or unpaid,
				supervised, and mentored field-based experience, outside of an approved
				program, in the role and at the level of the license sought. Interns must be
				evaluated through a Performance Assessment for Initial License, using
				Department guidelines.
Level
: The range of grades within
				which a given license is valid.
License
: Any credential issued to an
				Educator as specified in
				603
				CMR 7.04(1). The terms
				"license" and "licensure" as used in
				603 CMR
				7.00 are equivalent to the terms "certificate" and
				"certification" as used in M.G.L. c. 71, § 38G.
Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure
				(MTEL)
: Examinations required of all candidates for Provisional or
				Initial License. The MTEL examines communication and literacy skills, and
				subject matter knowledge appropriate to the license sought.
Mentor
: An Educator who has at least
				three full years of experience under an Initial or Professional License and who
				has been trained to assist a beginning Educator in the same professional role
				with his or her professional responsibilities and general school/district
				procedures. In addition, a mentor may assist an experienced educator who is new
				to a school, subject area, or grade level. A mentor may also assist an educator
				who is participating in a performance assessment or a district-based program
				for licensure.
Military Spouse
: An individual who is
				the spouse of a military service member who is:
(a) in the armed forces of the United States,
			 a reserve unit of the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard
			 of another state; and
(b) serving
			 in the Commonwealth or in a bordering state while living in the Commonwealth.
Military Spouse License
: An educator
				license issued to a Military Spouse who has a bachelor's degree, holds a valid
				educator license from another state, and has not satisfied the testing
				requirements for a Massachusetts educator license. The Military Spouse License
				is valid for three years of employment.
NASDTEC Interstate Agreement
: The
				agreement sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher
				Education and Certification (NASDTEC) concerning reciprocal licensing of
				educational personnel among participating jurisdictions.
Panel Review
: The process used by the
				Department for reviewing and recommending candidates for Initial licensure who
				have substantial experience and formal education relevant to the license sought
				but have not met the specific license requirements.
Performance Assessment for Initial
				License
: Assessment of educator performance for Initial licensure
				using Department guidelines.
Performance Assessment Program
: A
				Department-sponsored Performance Assessment Program for the Professional
				license that includes a series of seminars and a performance assessment.
Performance Review Program for Initial Licensure
				(PRPIL)
: A performance review that satisfies the requirements for
				a Practicum/Practicum Equivalent based on eligibility requirements, portfolio
				review, supervision and mentoring during an internship, and the completion of a
				Performance Assessment for Initial License.
Practicum/Practicum Equivalent
: A
				field-based experience within an approved program in the role and at the level
				of the license sought, during which a candidate's performance is supervised
				jointly by the sponsoring organization and the supervising practitioner and
				evaluated in a Performance Assessment for Initial License.
See
603
				CMR 7.04(4)  for practicum
				hours. The duration of any equivalent to a practicum shall be no fewer hours
				than provided for the practicum in
				603
				CMR 7.04(4). An equivalent
				to a practicum may include an apprenticeship, the initial five-month period of
				service as teacher or administrator of record under a Provisional License, or
				others approved by the Department.
Pre-practicum
: Early field-based
				experiences with diverse student learners, integrated into courses or seminars
				that address either the Professional Standards for Teachers as set forth in
				603
				CMR 7.08 or the Professional Standards for
				Administrative Leadership as set forth in
				603
				CMR 7.10, in accordance with the
Pre-practicum Guidelines.
For candidates serving an
				apprenticeship or employed as educator of record, these experiences may occur
				simultaneously with the practicum or practicum equivalent.
Professional License
: An educator's
				license issued to a person who has met the requirements for an Initial License
				in that field and met requirements established by the Board set forth in
				603
				CMR 7.04(2)(c),
				7.09, or
				7.11. The Professional
				License is valid for five years and renewable for additional five-year terms as
				set forth in
				603 CMR
				44.00:
Educator License Renewal.
This
				license is equivalent to a standard educator certificate as defined in M.G.L.
				c. 71, § 38G.
Program Approval
: State authorization
				of an educator preparation program or its sponsoring organization to endorse
				program completers prepared in Massachusetts for educator licensure in the
				Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Also, the process through which a program or
				sponsoring organization may receive state approval.
Program Completer
: An individual who
				has completed all the requirements of a state-approved preparation program
				(i.e., instruction/course work and practicum), regardless of whether that
				person has taken and passed state tests or assessments for licensure or has
				been endorsed for licensure by the program or its sponsoring
				organization.
Program of Study
: The coursework,
				seminars, workshops, webinars, field experiences, and other program components
				that are required for the completion of an approved program.
Program Supervisor
: The supervisor
				from the sponsoring organization, under whose immediate supervision the
				candidate for licensure practices during a practicum.
Provisional License
: A license issued
				to a person who holds a bachelor's degree and has passed the Massachusetts
				Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) and met other eligibility requirements
				established by the Board in
				603
				CMR 7.04(2)  and
				7.09(1). The
				Provisional License is valid for five years of employment. An Educator who
				holds one or more Provisional Licenses may be employed under said license(s)
				for no more than five years in total.
Sheltered English Immersion (SEI)
:
				Shall have the meaning set forth in M.G.L. c. 71A, § 2.
Single Assessment Pass Rate
: The
				number of educator preparation program completers who passed a MTEL test
				divided by the number of all completers who took that test, expressed as a
				percent.
Sponsoring Organization
: Institution
				of Higher Education or Alternative Preparation organization that provides, or
				seeks to provide, approved preparation programs.
Subject Matter Knowledge Requirements
:
				Topics from the content of a discipline or field. These topics do not
				necessarily coincide with academic courses or imply a specific number of credit
				hours. The subject matter knowledge requirements for each license will be
				outlined in the
Subject Matter Knowledge Guidelines.
Summary Pass Rate
: The number of a
				sponsoring organization's teacher preparation program completers who passed all
				the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure they took divided by the number
				of the sponsoring organization's completers who took one or more tests,
				expressed as a percent.
Supervising Practitioner
: The Educator
				who has at least three full years of experience under an appropriate Initial or
				Professional License and has received an evaluation rating of proficient or
				higher, under whose immediate supervision the candidate for licensure practices
				during a practicum. For the Educator of record, a comparably qualified Educator
				will function as the Supervising Practitioner during the practicum
				equivalent.
Teacher
: Any person employed in a
				school or school district under a license listed in
				603
				CMR 7.04(3)(a).
Teacher of Record
: One or more
				teachers who are assigned primary responsibility for a student's learning in a
				subject, grade or course.
Temporary License
: An Educator license
				issued to a person who holds a bachelor's degree and a valid license or
				certificate from another state or jurisdiction, and who has been employed under
				such license for a minimum of three years and has met the requirements set
				forth in
				603
				CMR 7.04(2)(d). It is valid
				for one year of employment and is nonrenewable. Service under a Temporary
				License shall be counted as service in acquiring professional teacher status,
				contingent upon the educator passing the applicable licensure tests.
Temporary Substitute Teacher
: An
				Educator who is employed, on a temporary basis, for less than 90 consecutive
				school days in the same role, to take the place of a regularly employed
				Educator who is absent. Any Educator who is employed on a temporary basis for
				more than 90 consecutive school days in the same role must either be licensed
				for the role or working under a hardship waiver. In addition, as a result of
				the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, during the
				2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 school years, an educator who holds a
				bachelor's degree may be employed as a temporary substitute teacher for up to a
				full school year in the same role, except in a role requiring any of the
				following licenses: Teacher of Moderate Disabilities, Teacher of Severe
				Disabilities, Teacher of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ASL/TC), Teacher of Deaf and
				Hard of Hearing (Oral/Aural), Teacher of Visually Impaired, Teacher of Speech,
				Language and Hearing Disorders, or English as a Second Language, to take the
				place of a regularly employed educator who is absent. Service of an employee as
				a temporary substitute teacher shall not be counted as service in acquiring
				professional teacher status or other rights under M.G.L. c. 71, § 41;
				provided, however, that if the employee holds a license in another field or
				level during the time employed as a temporary substitute and obtains a
				temporary, initial, provisional or professional license in the appropriate
				field and level by June 30, 2023 and continues to serve as a teacher with the
				same employer under a license for two additional consecutive years, the full
				year of service as a temporary substitute shall be counted as service toward
				professional teacher status.
Transition Services
: Shall have the
				meaning given it in federal law at
				20 USC
				1401(34).