Frequently Asked Questions

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• Field-Based Experiences: Pre-Practicum
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Field-Based Experiences: Practicum Supervision

• What are the requirements for someone to be a supervising practitioner? What if my organization cannot find a supervising practitioner that meets requirements?
  • Per 603 CMR 7.02:
    • "A supervising practitioner is 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."
  • The 2023 Program Approval Criteria set additional expectations for supervising practitioners:
    • FBE 2: The Sponsoring Organization identifies, selects, and matches Supervising Practitioners who:
      • model evidence-based instructional practices, including anti-racist and culturally and linguistically sustaining practices;
      • effectively and equitably support candidates from all races, ethnicities, identity groups, and backgrounds; and
      • commit to meeting the Sponsoring Organization's expectations of the role.
    • FBE 3: The Sponsoring Organization supports and monitors all Supervising Practitioners and Program Supervisors to ensure that all candidates receive robust and equitable supervision in their licensure field, including high-quality feedback and evaluation that prepare them to be effective educators.
  • If the best supervising practitioner for a candidate does not meet regulatory requirements, this deviation must be documented with a waiver. See Appendix J: Implementation of Waivers in Approved Programs from the Guidelines for Educator Preparation Program Approval for additional information.
  • If a sponsoring organization is unable to find a supervising practitioner that meets all of the expectations in the 2023 Program Approval Criteria, the Guidelines states, "All Supervising Practitioners must effectively and equitably support all candidates and must commit to meeting the Sponsoring Organization's expectations of their role. If an individual candidate is unable to be matched with a Supervising Practitioner that models evidence-based instructional practices, including anti-racist and culturally and linguistically sustaining practices, despite attempts by the Sponsoring Organization to find such a Supervising Practitioner, it is the responsibility of the organization to directly support the candidate with additional resources or guidance in that area. DESE may request evidence of this support at the time of an interim or formal review."
• Can we provide supervising practitioners with PDPs in recognition of their time supporting our candidates?
  • See the PDPs for SPs and Host Teachers Advisory
• What are the requirements for someone to be a program supervisor?
  • Program supervisors are identified, hired, and trained by individual sponsoring organizations. Organizations can set requirements for this role. All program supervisors must be able to support candidates in alignment with the 2023 Program Approval Criteria.

Last Updated: August 23, 2024