The Professional License for ABE Teachers: Summary and Requirements by Route

RegulationsfortheLicensureofAdultBasic Education Teachers and Preparation Program Approvalwere approved by the Boardof Education on April 24, 2001 and went intoeffectOctober1,2001.

The ABE Teacher’s License is a voluntary license,bystatute(M.G.L.c.69, §1H).

Onegenerallicensethatcoversa foundation of knowledge and skills in all areas of ABE covering the breadthofcontent, skills,andabilitiesneededbyadult basic educators(e.g., English, includingreadingandwriting;ESOL; and a general background inmathematics, history,science,and social sciences).

There are two levels to licensure: provisional and professional.

The provisional license,whichis the entrylevel license, is validforfive years andis non-renewable.Teachers willneedtohavemet the minimumeducational requirement and passed the Communication and Literacy Skills Test and the ABE Subject MatterTestoftheMassachusettsTestsforEducatorLicensure(MTEL).

The professional license is valid forfiveyearsand is renewable everyfiveyears thereafter.Teachers will need to have met theminimum educational requirement and passedthe Communication andLiteracySkillsTestandtheABESubject MatterTest oftheMassachusettsTestsforEducator Licensure (MTEL).TheProfessionallicense assumes that candidates have completed allrequirements for licensure. Requirements for the professionallicensedependupontherouteto licensure used.Please see theattached at-a-glance chart. [Note:Itisnotnecessarytohold a provisional ABE license before applying for a professional ABElicense.]

There arefour routestotheprofessional ABE Teacher’sLicense.All routes to licensure include demonstrating proficiency intheprofessional standards for ABE teachers, which includes a performanceassessment and a demonstration of teaching. Novice ABEteachersmustparticipate in a pre-practicumand/or practicum,which may be fulfilledeitherpre-service or in-service.Two of thefour routes to licensureare considered“streamlining” optionsfor experienced ABE teachers through whichcertaincriteriaareconsidered “fulfilled” byvirtue oftheir years ofexperience.

The professional standards for ABE teachers have been designedspecifically for teachers of adult basic education. As such, theyareintendedtobebroadenoughtoallowforthevarietyof educational settings in which ABEtakesplace(familyliteracy,corrections, workplaceeducation,etc.)and flexible enoughtoallow for growth and development in a continuallychangingfield.

The ABE teacher’s standards areintheareasof:

Understanding the Adult Learner,

Diversity and Equity,

Instructional DesignandTeaching Approaches,

Facilitating theAdultLearning Environment,

Learner Assessment andEvaluation,and

Professionalism/Continuing Education.

*Bystatute, this licensecannot berequired by the Department ofEducation.