Special Education: Initial License for Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12)

Candidates for the Massachusetts Initial License for Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12) are not required to have passed the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) prior to applying to the program. However, to be eligible to enroll in the practicum, teacher candidates must submit evidence of passing scores on all MTEL required for licensure.

Candidates seeking a license for PreK-8 must pass the following tests:

• Communication and Literacy Skills
• Foundations of Reading OR Reading Specialists
• General Curriculum (Subtest 1: Language Arts and History/Social Science + Subtest 2: Mathematics, Science, and Technology/Engineering)

Candidates seeking licensure for 5-12 must pass the following tests:

• Communication and Literacy Skills
• Foundations of Reading OR Reading Specialists
• General Curriculum (Subtest 1: Language Arts and History/Social Science + Subtest 2: Mathematics, Science, and Technology/Engineering) OR one of the following MTEL subject matter tests at the 5-8 or 8-12 grade level: English (61), History/Social Science (73), Middle School Humanities (English/History) (76), Middle School Math/Science (77), Mathematics (65 or 063only), Science (Biology (66), Chemistry (67), Earth and Space Science (74), General Science (64), Physics (69)

Candidates for the Initial License who do not already hold a Massachusetts teacher license may be required to take additional coursework in the content areas and/or curriculum and methods of teaching prior to enrollment in the practicum. A determination will be made based on a comprehensive moderate disabilities subject matter knowledge transcript review.

Individuals who complete approved programs are eligible for licensure reciprocity with states that are parties to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Interstate Agreement.

Note: Assumption University responds to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in matters of educator licensure. The University reserves the right to modify the Special Education program accordingly. All Assumption students are alerted to changes in the program as is appropriate.

In most cases, students are considered eligible for the practicum once they have successfully completed all pre-requisite courses or when they take such courses concurrently. A candidate’s eligibility for and enrollment in the practicum will be approved by the Special Education Program Director based upon:

• a review of the student’s transcript, existing teacher licensure, and professional experience
• successful performance in required graduate courses
• evidence of completion of required pre-practicum hours and field tasks, and
• evidence of passing scores on all the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) for Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities.

The practicum is a semester-long (i.e., 14-week, 400 hours) commitment governed by criteria outlined in the Massachusetts Regulations for Educator Licensure. Accordingly, teacher candidates must complete at least 100 full-responsibility hours as well as at least 75 hours (PreK-8) OR at least 150 hours (5-12) of the total 400 hours in an inclusive classroom setting. Teacher candidates must be prepared to spend full days at the practicum site(s) during the practicum semester.

Students who are interested in earning a Master of Arts in Special Education only are not 
required to hold a Massachusetts license nor are they required to pass any of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) while they are in the program. Such students may enroll in any Special Education course except for the practicum or the performance assessment required for Massachusetts Initial or Professional licensure. Students are required to pass a comprehensive final exit examination to complete requirements for the degree. Applicants who do not seek Massachusetts Educator Licensure are to follow the same procedure outlined for Initial License applicants.

The Special Education program offers a special five-year program that enables an Assumption University student to complete requirements for both the Bachelor of Arts degree in an area of the liberal arts and sciences and the Master of Arts in Special Education degree leading to eligibility for the Massachusetts Initial License for Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12). Students enrolled in this program will be eligible for Massachusetts licensure as elementary, middle, or secondary teacher and teacher of students with moderate disabilities. If admitted to the program, they may begin taking graduate courses during the senior year and complete the master’s degree requirements in a fifth year of study at the University. Assumption undergraduate students who are considering early admission for the fifth-year master’s program should consult with the Director of the Special Education program during the junior year to discuss eligibility and application procedures, and to plan a course of study.