Code of Massachusetts Regulations
603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Title 603 CMR 47.00 - Licensure Of Adult Basic Education Teachers And Preparation Program Approval
Section 47.03 - Adult Basic Education Teacher Preparation Program Approval

(a) Candidates may qualify for licensure through successful completion of an approved preparation program leading to the Adult Basic Education Teacher's License, provided that they meet all other requirements.

(b) Sponsoring organizations with an approved ABE teacher preparation program have the authority to review prior course work and work experience of their candidates and waive otherwise required coursework when designing programs of study for them. Granting such waivers is the official responsibility of the sponsoring organization. Records of candidates for whom coursework has been waived must be available during onsite review.

(c) A sponsoring organization that has received approval of its ABE teacher preparation program is authorized to do the following:

(d) A sponsoring organization seeking approval of its ABE teacher preparation program shall invite the Department to review it. The sponsoring organization shall provide written evidence that it satisfies the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(2) and (3) for the program for which approval is sought. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall review the written information for the proposed program and verify it through an onsite review at the sponsoring organization. The Department shall use the same standards in reviewing all programs and sponsoring organizations for approval.

(e) Program approval will be for a period of five years, unless the program ceases to meet the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(2) and (3).

(a) Preparation that satisfies the requirements for a bachelor's or master's degree program.

(b) Preparation that addresses the following:

(c) Pre?practicum, including a field-survey component.

(d) Practicum or practicum equivalent.

(e) Assessment of candidate performance during the practicum, using guidelines developed by the Department.

(f) Appropriate services for advising candidates.

(g) Official transcripts of all candidates enrolled in each program.

(h) An annual report to the Department that includes the following information:

(a) All sponsoring organizations with an approved program shall demonstrate an 80% pass rate of program completers who take state licensing tests and assessments required for Professional licensure in the field of preparation.

(b) The sponsoring organization and its approved program shall report pass rates only when there are ten or more in a cohort of completers who take a test.

(c) The sponsoring organization shall publish, in official organizational publications, the initial and cumulative pass rates for each cohort of program completers who take required state licensure tests:

(d) Organizations with fewer than ten program completers in any cohort shall aggregate the pass/fail status of test?takers over multiple years until the number of completers who take tests reaches ten. At that point, an organization shall be subject to the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(5), except that approval shall not be revoked until the organization has a second total of at least ten new program completers who take required state licensure tests.

(e) Programs with fewer than ten program completers in any cohort are not obligated to report pass rates for such programs. Those with at least ten program completers in any cohort shall be subject to the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(4).

(a) Any program that fails to demonstrate that it satisfies all of the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(2) and (3) shall be subject to review and possible revocation of approval.

(b) The Department may initiate a review of such a program and request an improvement plan. The Department shall offer technical assistance where appropriate.

(c) The sponsoring organization shall submit an improvement plan to the Department for programs that are under review. The Department will monitor progress in meeting the goals of the improvement plan. If, after two years under review, a program has not made satisfactory progress, its approval may be revoked. The Commissioner may extend the review for a third year if additional data must be collected, e.g., for small programs.

(d) The Commissioner will make the final determination regarding revocation of state approval of an individual program.

(a) Any sponsoring organization that fails to meet an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by its program completers in any year (summary pass rate), or to demonstrate that it satisfies any other Program Components set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(2), shall be subject to revocation of approval of all its programs and shall be referred to the Commissioner for review.

(b) The Commissioner shall initiate a review of all the programs offered by a sponsoring organization that has been referred for review and issue a report. Such report shall identify potential areas for improvement of those programs and offer technical assistance where appropriate.

(c) A sponsoring organization that has been referred for review shall have 60 days to submit an improvement plan to the Department. The Department will monitor progress in meeting the goals of the improvement plan for two years. At the end of two years the Commissioner shall make a determination as to whether the organization has made satisfactory progress.

(d) If, after three years under review, a sponsoring organization fails to achieve an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by program completers (summary pass rate), the Commissioner shall designate the organization as "low performing" and recommend that the Board of Education revoke approval of all of the sponsoring organization's educator preparation programs. The Board will make the final determination.

(a) A sponsoring organization must wait two years after revocation before it can apply to the Department to restore approval. The sponsoring organization shall submit written documentation of how it will address the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(2) and (3).

(b) The Department will review the written documentation to determine whether the organization and its program satisfies all of the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(2) and (3). Programs that demonstrate that they satisfy the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(2) will be allowed to recruit students.

(c) Upon demonstration of an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by the first cohort of program completers (summary pass rate), the Commissioner will restore approval to the program or sponsoring organization, provided that it continues to satisfy the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 47.03(2) and (3).