Educator Preparation in Massachusetts

The resources on this page are primarily for Massachusetts approved educator preparation programs.

If you are an individual hoping to become an educator in Massachusetts, visit our Careers in Massachusetts page.
If you are from an organization seeking to become an approved educator preparation program, visit our Informal Review toolkit.

Quick Links:

Ed Prep Frequently Asked Questions (For quick access to frequently asked questions and an extensive library of resources.)
Educator Preparation Review and Approval
Guidelines and Advisories
PST and CAP Guidelines and Implementation Support
Other Educator Preparation Resources

DESE Educator Preparation Resources and Opportunities 2024-2025

We are excited to share upcoming opportunities to learn from and collaborate with the DESE team and your colleagues from other educator preparation programs throughout the 2024-2025 school year. We will continue to update this list as more specific details become available. If you have additional questions about any of these opportunities, please contact educatorpreparation@mass.gov .

In addition to the opportunities below, our team will continue to communicate and collect feedback through our Monthly EE Newsletter and regular attendance at SCOPE, MACTE Board, and COMTEC meetings. The Educator Preparation Advisory Group and PST/CAP Working Group will also continue to collaborate with our team throughout the year to inform specific projects.

Anticipated Updates to Guidelines or Foundational Resources

The Guidelines and resources below are anticipated to be updated during 2024-2025. We will update this page regularly regarding the anticipated release of drafts, memos, or requests for feedback on these materials.

Guidelines/Resources	Anticipated Timeline
Guidelines for Pre-Practicum Experiences for Teacher Candidates The Pre-Practicum Guidelines will be updated to align with the 2023 Guidelines for Educator Preparation Program Approval and 2024 Guidelines for the Professional Standards for Teachers.	Late Summer/Fall 2024: Seek input and feedback Winter 2024-2025: Release draft Guidelines for public comment Spring 2025: Release final Guidelines
Guidelines for Approved Professional Teacher Programs We will be developing these Guidelines to create clear expectations for approved Professional Teacher programs. In Fall 2024, we will focus on stakeholder engagement and then will build out a timeline for the revisions. New Professional Teacher programs will not be accepted for review during this period of development.	Fall 2024: Input from internal and external stakeholders to inform the updates Additional information regarding the timeline will be shared based on what we hear and learn through this collaboration.
The Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Communication and Literacy Skills (CLS2) Framework DESE, in partnership with Throughline Learning, has developed a new Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Communication and Literacy Skills Framework to guide the redevelopment of the CLST MTEL. We are currently seeking public comment on the draft CLS2 Framework that will eventually guide the redevelopment of the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL test. Input will directly inform final revisions to the Framework and ultimately impact all new licensed educators in Massachusetts.	Draft framework
Subject Matter Knowledge Guidelines: Updates to the Moderate Disabilities 5–12 Expectations Currently, the SMK Guidelines require Moderate Disabilities 5–12 programs to develop candidates' content fluency in Grades 3–12 of the English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Technology, & Engineering, and History & Social Science Curriculum Frameworks. DESE will be updating the Subject Matter Knowledge Guidelines for Moderate Disabilities 5–12 programs to better align them with content expectations for the role once employed. Our office is collaborating with the Office of Special Education Planning and Policy on these updates and will share additional details for input and feedback this Fall.	Fall 2024: Seek input Spring 2025: Release draft SMK Guidelines for public comment Summer 2025: Final SMK Guidelines released

Last Updated: October 25, 2024