In accordance with DESE's Educational Vision, we are pleased to announce updates to guidance and tools for defining, developing, and supporting effective teaching practice in the Commonwealth that center evidence-based, culturally and linguistically sustaining practices necessary to advance equitable learning opportunities for all students.
The PSTs define the pedagogical knowledge and skills required of all teachers as they complete preparation programs in Massachusetts. The PSTs and corresponding performance assessment (CAP) have been updated to ensure continued alignment with the Standards of Effective Practice for K–12 educators so that beginning teachers are well-prepared with the knowledge and skills needed to serve all of their students, particularly those from systemically marginalized groups and communities.
Together, these frameworks reflect a critically important shift in focus towards the evidence-based, culturally and linguistically sustaining practices necessary to support all students to attain academic knowledge and skills, understand and value themselves and others, and engage with the world. We look forward to continuing to partner with you in support of this work.
June 2024 Memo: Updated Standards of Effective Practice, PST Guidelines, and CAP Guidelines
2024 Guidelines for the Professional Standards for Teachers
2024 Guidelines for the Candidate Assessment of Performance
All Initial Teacher preparation programs are expected to fully implement the 2024 PST Guidelines and 2024 CAP Guidelines beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. In 2024-2025, each sponsoring organization must employ an implementation plan to prepare its personnel and candidates for full implementation by 2025-2026. An overview of the implementation timeline is below; additional information regarding implementation resources will be provided in the coming months.
Statement of Assurance Template
Implementation Plan Template
These opportunities will provide support, collaboration, and learning on the 2024 Guidelines for the Professional Standards for Teachers (PSTs) and 2024 Guidelines for the Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) to prepare for their full implementation in 2025-2026. These opportunities will be designed for those involved in Initial Teacher programs.
The updated Guidelines were released in June 2024 and include significant changes, including updated levels of practice, modifications to the expectations of supervising practitioners and program supervisors when conducting observations, and changes to CAP evidence collection, among others. SOs must implement these changes beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. In support of implementation planning throughout 2024-2025, DESE will provide multiple opportunities for SO personnel, program supervisors, supervising practitioners, and district personnel to learn more about the updates.
These opportunities were designed through extensive input, including public comment on the 2024 CAP and PST Guidelines, virtual and in-person CAP and PST Guidelines roundtables, and the 2023-2024 CAP and PST Working Group. Support for using the Early Literacy Observation Form, in particular providing high-quality feedback to candidates on culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in early literacy will be interwoven with these opportunities.
Info Session Q&As
Sessions will run between January–April 2025
Application link
PST and CAP Drop-in SessionsOne-hour virtual sessions led by members of the prep field, each with a featured topic requested by the field.
Topics will include:
Application to facilitate will be released early in the Fall.
Sessions will run in March–April 2025
Please reach out to EducatorPreparation@mass.gov with any questions.
During the 2023-2024 school year, DESE gathered survey feedback from over 200 representatives from educator preparation programs and PK–12 districts across Massachusetts. DESE also convened a working group of educator preparation program leaders and faculty, program supervisors, supervising practitioners, recent completers, and other PK–12 representatives to inform the updates to these Guidelines. Each member of the working group was selected for their commitment to anti-racist teaching practices as well as their recent, nuanced, and varied experiences with the Candidate Assessment of Performance.
DESE used this input from the field alongside the research base showing the importance and developmental trajectory of specific evidence-based skills that foster culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in beginning teachers to inform updates to these Guidelines. Updates were also informed by research on the predictive validity of CAP1, as well as ongoing research on teacher quality and impact in Massachusetts2.
Revisions to the Guidelines were directly informed by updates to the Standards of Effective Practice, which reflect input from educators, students, and families across Massachusetts on anti-racist, inclusive, and equitable practices. The Essential Elements remain aligned with the core language and expectations described in the Standards of Effective Practice and articulated in the PST Guidelines.
2023-2024 PST/CAP Working Group Members:
1 Chen, B., Cowan, J., Goldhaber, D., & Theobald, R. (2023). Assessing the Predictive Validity of the Massachusetts Candidate Assessment of Performance. Educational Policy, 0(0).
2 See the Continuous Improvement page on DESE's Educator Preparation website for additional information.
Last Updated: November 13, 2024
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
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