Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, the Communication and Literacy Skills (CLST) Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL) has been required for educator licensure since 1998. In October of 2020 (Word), the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education passed a new regulatory amendment to pilot the use of alternative assessments to the MTEL.

The regulation states:

• The Department may conduct a pilot of alternative assessments identified or developed to satisfy the requirements of 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (a) (2) and (3), and 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (b) (2) and (3), and 603 CMR 1.06 (4) (a). Any alternative assessment identified or developed for this purpose shall be determined by the Commissioner to be comparable to the MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills test or subject matter knowledge test. The alternative assessment pilot period shall continue through June 30, 2024. Any candidate who passes an alternative assessment during that period will be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (a) (2), or (a) (3), or 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (b) (2) or (b) (3), or 603 CMR 1.06 (4) (a), as applicable. During the period of the alternative assessment pilot, the Commissioner will report to the Board at least annually on any alternative assessments, including the number of candidates taking the alternative assessments, any evaluative information regarding these candidates, patterns of employment, and feedback from school districts and educator preparation programs. Prior to making any recommendations following the conclusion of the pilot, the Commissioner shall conduct or contract for an evaluation of the alternative assessment pilot.

The Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, on behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, has approved the Reading and Writing sections of the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core), referred to as the Communication and Literacy test, as an alternative to the CLST MTEL during the pilot period. Teacher candidates, or those wishing to become certified, may take the Communication and Literacy test as an alternative to the CLST MTEL.

For additional information about the regulatory pilot, please refer to updates on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.

For information on licensure requirements, please visit Massachusetts' Office of Educator Licensure.

Academic PreK-12 Licenses

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has approved a regulatory pilot aimed to create and evaluate increased flexibility in assessments for educator licensure. This regulatory amendment is designed to identify and pilot alternative mechanisms for assessing knowledge and skills and be responsive to feedback from the field while continuing to maintain a high bar for all educators.

This entails the approval of two alternative assessments from ETS with specific eligibility requirements. The assessments will be accepted through a pilot period for educators who meet specific eligibility requirements. The approved assessments include: 

• English to Speakers of Other Languages (5362)
• Physical Education: Content and Design (5095)

To register for the tests, log into your Praxis account.

Candidate Eligibility

To take the assessments, candidates must meet the following requirements: 

1. Educators must have a bachelor’s degree, and
2. Educators must meet one of the following three qualifications: 

• Taught for at least 1 school year in the field of the test they seek to take under a waiver, an emergency license, and/or a temporary license 
• Taught for at least 1 school year in the field of the test they seek to take at a charter school, a collaborative, an approved special education school or a private school that uses the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
• Served for at least 1 school year in a paraprofessional role or as a long-term substitute in a classroom in a Massachusetts public school, collaborative, an approved special education school, or a private school that uses the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in the field of the test they seek to take.

Educators are required to submit proof of the above requirements to ETS during the test registration process. The registration process explains how to document proof of eligibility. As candidates register and take these alternative assessments, results are electronically and securely sent to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Due to these eligibility requirements, the Department is not accepting scores for tests registered for or taken before October 26, 2022.

For questions about the alternative assessments to the MTEL, please email the Department:

Email: testhelp@doe.mass.edu

For licensure questions, please contact the Licensure Office Call Center:

Phone:1-781-338-6600

Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and 2 p.m.–5 p.m.

• If you test in Massachusetts at a test center or at home, and your Praxis profile address is in Massachusetts, your score report will be sent automatically to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• If you test outside Massachusetts or your Praxis profile address is not in Massachusetts, your scores are NOT automatically sent to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. To have your scores sent to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, you must select the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (state code 7335) as a score recipient when you register.
• For all methods of Praxis testing, to request additional score reports you must select the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (state code 7335) with each additional score report request.

Get additional information about Sending Your Praxis Scores.

ETS discontinued paper-delivered testing; however, Praxis tests will continue to be available in a paper-delivered format as required for ADA accommodations. All scores for previously administered paper-delivered tests are reportable for 10 years from the date the test was taken.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not require an SSN to process educator certification paperwork. ETS does not require your SSN for its own purposes, but will submit it to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with your test results. However, failure to provide your SSN could delay processing of your certification application.