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).
