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MEMORANDUM
TO: Members of the Board of Education
FROM: David P. Driscoll, Commissioner of Education
DATE: April 22, 2003
SUBJECT: Proposed Amendments to the Regulations for Educator Licensure
and
Preparation Program Approval – English Language Learners License
I
am pleased to present to you the proposed amendments to the Regulations
for Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval concerning the
English Language Learners license. To prepare teachers who can effectively
implement the statutory requirements of Question 2 and who can be considered
“highly qualified” according to No Child Left Behind requirements,
the Department is proposing one basic license for teachers of English
Language Learners (ELL). Starting in 2004, this one license will replace
both the current English as a Second Language (ESL) license and the current
Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) license. Attachment 1 outlines
the requirements for this license. Currently licensed ESL or TBE teachers
can continue teaching what their licenses allow them to teach without
obtaining other licenses or adding the proposed ELL license. They may
also renew their ESL or TBE licenses.
The requirements for the new ELL license will increase the prospective
ELL teacher’s knowledge and skill in teaching reading and writing
to ELL students. The license requirements will also increase the teacher’s
content knowledge in order to address the content of the curriculum at
the elementary, middle, or high school level. The proposed ELL subject
matter knowledge test will contain items assessing knowledge of beginning
and advanced reading and writing pedagogy for mainstream students as well
as ELL students. The requirement that prospective ELL teachers at grades
PreK-6 pass the General Curriculum test will ensure that they have adequate
knowledge of the basic subjects in the elementary curriculum. The requirement
that prospective ELL teachers at grades 5-12 pass a subject matter knowledge
test in a core academic subject taught in grades 5-8 or 5-12 will ensure
that they have adequate knowledge of a basic subject at the secondary
level.
What Prospective ELL Teachers at Grades PreK-6 Can
Teach
What can prospective teachers teach if they hold the proposed PreK-6 ELL
license as a first or only license, and in what educational settings?
- The
PreK-6 ELL teacher will be able to teach ELL students in the range of
educational settings now staffed by a licensed ESL teacher. This range
includes:
-
teaching as teacher-of-record in a self-contained sheltered immersion
classroom focusing on language acquisition;
- co-teaching with the licensed teacher of a general classroom; and
- teaching, at different periods of the day, separate groups of children
(pull-out groups) who are assigned to a general classroom for the rest
of the day,
- In
addition to teaching English language acquisition skills, the prospective
PreK-6 ELL teacher will be able to teach beginning reading and writing
and subject matter content in a sheltered English immersion classroom.
- They
will not be able to be teacher of record in general PreK-6 classrooms.
Only the licensed early childhood or elementary teacher can be teacher
of record in PreK-6 classrooms.
What
Prospective ELL Teachers at Grades 5-12 Can Teach
What can prospective teachers teach if they hold the proposed 5-12 ELL
license as a first or only license, and in what educational settings?
- The
5-12 ELL teacher will be able to teach ELL students in the range of
educational settings now staffed by a licensed 5-12 ESL teacher. This
range includes:
- teaching as teacher-of-record in a self-contained sheltered immersion
classroom focusing on language acquisition;
- co-teaching with the licensed teacher of a general classroom; and
- teaching, at different periods of the day, separate groups of students
(pull-out groups) who are assigned to general classrooms for the rest
of the day.
- In
addition to teaching English language acquisition skills, the prospective
5-12 ELL teacher will be able to teach beginning or advanced reading
and writing and subject matter content in the subject in which they
passed a subject matter knowledge test in a sheltered English immersion
classroom. The 5-12 ELL teacher may teach in the general subject area
classroom as well, if he or she applies for and receives the license
to teach that subject area.
Optional
Endorsement for Transitional Bilingual Learning
The proposed amendments also provide for an optional endorsement as a
teacher of Transitional Bilingual Learning (TBL) for PreK-6 and for 5-12.
A licensed ELL teacher can earn this endorsement by passing a test assessing,
or including the assessment of, speaking, listening, reading, and writing
skills in the relevant foreign language at a high level of proficiency.
This optional endorsement will allow the ELL teacher to teach ELL students
who have been granted waivers, subject matter in their native language
in a self-contained elementary classroom or in a secondary subject area
classroom if the teacher has applied for and received the license to teach
that subject area in a general classroom.
Implementation Date
We propose September 2004 as the implementation date for the ELL license.
That is the date by which we expect the new ELL test to be ready. This
date will also allow those now enrolled in ESL or TBE programs to complete
their programs under the current regulations. Those who are now seniors
or in the second year of a two-year post-baccalaureate program will be
able to complete their current requirements this year, and those who are
now juniors or in the first year of a two-year post-baccalaureate program
will be able to complete their current requirements by the summer of 2004.
Summary of Public Comment
Attachment 2 provides a summary of the public comment. The Department
received 12 responses in all; several from candidates completing Initial
programs in ESL, several from faculty in institutions of higher learning,
one each from the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Massachusetts
Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages, and several from
currently licensed ESL teachers. The proposed regulations address suggestions
made by the faculty in current ESL programs and the MTA. Comments by other
respondents expressed concern about the implications of the proposed amendments
for currently licensed ESL or TBE teachers who wish to continue in their
current positions or renew their licenses or for those now completing
approved ESL or TBE programs. The summary of public comment provides general
information for these current or prospective teachers. Following the Board’s
approval of the ELL license, the Department will issue a detailed memorandum
to clarify what licensed ESL and TBE teachers or those now completing
approved ESL or TBE programs can do under their licenses and what they
may need to do in order to become “highly qualified” as that
term is used in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Other Amendments
To ensure that all teachers are able to address the needs of English language
learners in general classrooms, we are also proposing additions to the
Professional Standards for Teachers and additional requirements for program
approval. While the training of general classroom or subject area teachers
will continue to include course work in addressing the full range of students,
from those who read and write English extremely well to students with
learning disabilities, from now on their training will also include pedagogical
course work in addressing the needs of ELL students.
Proposed Action
We believe these proposed amendments to the approved regulations will
satisfactorily address the intentions of Question 2 and provide school
administrators with more flexibility than they have had in the past. I
recommend that the Board vote to approve these amendments.
Over
the course of the next year, the Department will review the progress that
school districts are making in securing and assigning highly qualified
teachers to teach sheltered English or sheltered subject matter content
to ELL students. We will then report back to the Board on whether further
amendments to the licensing regulations are needed to implement Question
2.
Attachment
1
Note:
New text is indicated in bold
type and deleted text has been struck
out.
1. The current English as a Second Language teacher license in section
7.06 (10), as shown here, will be deleted and replaced by the English
Language Learners license, the text of which follows below. The endorsement
will replace the current Transitional Bilingual Education specialist license,
also shown here below, which will be deleted from section 7.07 (4):
(10) English as a Second Language (ESL) (Levels: PreK-8; 5-12)
(a) Command of the English language, oral and written, at a level of
proficiency set by the Board
(b) Research and theories of second language acquisition at different
age levels
(c) Linguistics, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and
pragmatics of English, other languages, and language variations
(d) Theories and methods of instruction in reading and writing in a second
language, including content-based language teaching, sheltered subject
matter teaching, combining the four language skills, and interactive approaches
(e) Knowledge of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for mathematics,
science, English language arts, and history and social science at the
appropriate level
(f) Language assessment procedures and instruments: selection, administration,
and interpretation
(g) Historical and legal bases for ESL and bilingual education
(h) Fluency at an intermediate level in a language other than English
(4)
Transitional Bilingual Education (Levels: Dependent on Prerequisite License)
(a) Prerequisites:
1. An Initial or Professional teacher license
2. At least one year of teaching experience under that license
3. Teachers with an Initial license in a foreign language for PreK-8 who
seek a transitional bilingual license must take coursework in reading/English
language arts as specified for the elementary license
b) Validity: The Transitional Bilingual Education license will be valid
for employment in the field and at the level of the prerequisite teacher
license.
c) Subject Matter Knowledge:
1. Listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills in the
language other than English at a level of proficiency determined by the
Board
2. Listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English
at a level of proficiency determined by the Board
3. Cultures and history associated with the language other than English
in which the candidate has demonstrated proficiency
4. Theories of and research in first- and second-language acquisition
and its relationship to literacy learning
5. Legal and scientific research bases for bilingual education
6. Diagnosis and assessment of skills in reading and writing English
7. Instructional strategies and curriculum appropriate for making a successful
transition to English from the other language in the learning of school
subjects
8. Procedures and instruments for assessing progress in the transition
to English from the other language
9. Strategies and methods for developing English literacy in transitional
bilingual classrooms
10. Understanding of the design of and instruction in two-way bilingual
education programs
11. Strategies for English immersion classrooms
(10)
English Language Learners (Levels: PreK-6; 5-12)
(a)
Requirements for the English Language Learners license
1.
The following items will be assessed on a subject matter knowledge
test:
a.
Theory and research in second language acquisition at different
age levels.
b.
Linguistics (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics)
of English as well as of other languages and language variations.
c.
Regional, socioeconomic, and developmental factors influencing
language variation and bilingualism or multilingualism.
d.
Theories and sheltered strategies for developing English language
skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for English
language learners in bilingual or multilingual classrooms from
the primary grades on.
e.
Formal and informal English language assessment procedures and
instruments: selection, administration, and interpretation; normal
variation in performance as well as possible differentiation from
learning disabilities.
f.
Strategies for teaching sheltered subject matter and for assessing
student learning.
g.
Reading theory, research, and practice:
(1)
Knowledge of the significant theories and practices for developing
reading skills and reading comprehension in English as a first
language at different educational levels.
(2) Relevance of linguistic differences between the first and
the second language for reading instruction in English.
(3) Differences in initial reading instruction in English (including
phonemic awareness and phonics) for students who may or may
not be literate in their first language: effects of first language
literacy on second language learning and literacy.
(4) Formal and informal measures for assessing development in
reading skills and their use with second language learners.
h. Development of a listening, speaking, and reading vocabulary.
i. Writing theory and practice:
(1)
Approaches and practices for developing writing skills and the
use of writing tools.
(2) Writing process and formal elements of writing.
j. Oral/aural fluency in English at a level of proficiency set
by the Board.
2. The following shall be included in an approved program but will
not be addressed on the subject matter test: evidence of knowledge
or study of a language other than English.
3. For PreK-6, a passing score on the General Curriculum test; for
5-12, a passing score on a subject matter knowledge test in a core
academic subject for 5-8 or 5-12.
(b) Requirements for an optional endorsement in Transitional Bilingual
Learning for PreK-6 and 5-12: Passing score on a test, deemed acceptable
by the Department, assessing, or including the assessment of, listening,
speaking, reading, and writing skills in the relevant foreign language
for either the PreK-6 or the 5-12 level.
2. The following changes will be made to section 7.08, Professional
Standards for Teachers:
(2) Standards for All Teachers Except Library and Speech, Language,
and Hearing Disorders Teachers
(a)
Plans Curriculum and Instruction.
2. Draws on results of formal and informal assessments as well as knowledge
of human development to identify teaching strategies and learning activities
appropriate to the specific discipline, age, level
of English language proficiency, and range of cognitive levels
being taught.
(b) Delivers Effective Instruction.
2. Communicates high standards and expectations when carrying out the
lesson:
g. Employs appropriate sheltered English or subject
matter strategies for English learners.
(3) Standards for Library Teachers
(c) Plans and uses the pedagogy appropriate to the specific discipline
and to the age, level of English language proficiency,
and cognitive level of the students in the classroom.
3. Section 7.04 (4) will be revised as follows to require an English
Language Learners teacher to complete a 150-hour practicum or practicum
equivalent:
(e) Teacher, Grades PreK-6 or PreK-8 150
hours
4. Section 7.05 (1) (b) will be revised as follows to require Route
One candidates for an Initial English Language Learners license to complete
at least 36 semester hours in upper and lower level arts and sciences
coursework:
(b) For the elementary, teacher of English language learners, teacher
of students with moderate disabilities, teacher of students with severe
disabilities, teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, and teacher of
the visually impaired licenses: at least 36 semester hours in upper
and lower level arts and sciences coursework covering composition; American
literature; world literature, including British literature; U.S. history
from colonial times to the present; world history, including European
history, from ancient times to the present; geography; economics; U.S.
government including founding documents; child development; science
laboratory work; and mathematics and science coursework appropriate
for the elementary school teacher. Some of this coursework might also
count toward the required arts or sciences major or general education
requirements.
Attachment 2
Proposed Amendments to Regulations for Educator Licensure and Preparation
Program Approval (603 CMR 7.00)
Public Comment Summary and Response
April 2003
On
February 25, 2003, the Board voted to disseminate proposed amendments
to the licensing regulations for public comment. These amendments proposed
the following:
- Create
a new English Language Learners (ELL) license to replace the current
English as a Second Language license.
- Enable
candidates with an ELL license to earn an optional endorsement to this
license if they wish to qualify as a Teacher of Transitional Bilingual
Learning (TBL). This optional endorsement would replace the current
Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) license.
- Amend
the Professional Standards for Teachers to include additional language
addressing the teaching of students whose first language is not English.
- Specify
the number of hours required for the practicum/practicum equivalent
for PreK-6 licenses, which will include the English Language Learners
license.
As
of March 31, 2003, the deadline for submission of public comment, the
Department had received 12 responses: six were from faculty in four institutions
of higher education; two were from professional organizations (Massachusetts
Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages and Massachusetts
Association of Teachers); two were from students completing an ESL program;
one was from a parent; and one was from a current ESL teacher.
Public
Comment: Faculty in institutions of higher education proposed additional
topics or revised wording for existing topics in the ELL license. Major
topics were:
- ELL
teachers need to be alert to the differences between learning disabilities
on the one hand and new language learning and normal language variation
on the other.
- ELL
teachers need to understand how the presence or absence of first language
literacy may affect second language learning and literacy.
- ELL
teachers need to understand clearly the differences between teaching
beginning reading and writing to native English speaking students and
to ELL students.
- ELL
teachers need to understand the factors influencing language variation
and bilingualism or multilingualism.
- ELL
teachers need to understand and use both informal and formal assessment
measures of language acquisition and English reading skills
- ELL
teachers at the secondary level need subject matter knowledge requirements.
- ELL
teachers need an understanding of how technology can assist second language
acquisition.
Department
Response: The first six topics are now addressed in the amendments
the Department is proposing in April 2003. The first five have been incorporated
into the topics that will be assessed on one of the two teacher tests
of subject matter knowledge for the ELL license. The Department is addressing
the sixth topic by requiring all prospective 5-12 ELL teachers to pass,
in addition, a discipline-based subject matter knowledge test of their
choice for 5-8 or 5-12. This is the counterpart to the requirement that
all prospective PreK-6 ELL teachers pass the General Curriculum (formerly
Elementary) subject matter knowledge test, in addition to the new ELL
test.
The seventh, or last, topic is already part of the Professional Standards
for Teachers in two different standards. All prospective teachers are
to learn in their preparation programs how to “incorporate appropriate
technology and media in lesson planning” and “use instructional
technology appropriately.”
Public
Comment: Several
respondents expressed concern that prospective ELL teachers would need
more than one license in order to become an ELL teacher—an elementary
license for the PreK-6 level and a subject matter license for the 5-8
or 5-12 level.
Department
Response: The
ELL license is designed as a first license. In addition to a passing score
on the new ELL subject matter test, it requires a passing score on the
General Curriculum test for prospective PreK-6 ELL teachers, and a passing
score on a discipline-based subject matter test for 5-8 or 5-12 for prospective
5-12 ELL teachers, but not an elementary or secondary license. The passing
of one of these two discipline-based subject matter tests is designed
to ensure that the ELL teacher has appropriate subject matter knowledge
for the educational level the license addresses.
Public
Comment: Several
respondents expressed concern that currently licensed ESL or TBE teachers
would need to obtain additional licenses or the ELL license in order to
continue teaching what they have been teaching, to keep their current
licenses, or to renew their licenses.
Department
Response: Currently
licensed ESL or TBE teachers can continue teaching what their licenses
allow them to teach without obtaining other licenses or adding the proposed
ELL license. They may also renew their ESL or TBE licenses.
What
can currently licensed ESL teachers continue to do?
- They
can continue teaching English language acquisition skills to ELL students
in the range of educational settings their license now allows.
- If
they hold another license addressing the teaching of content, they can
teach sheltered subject matter.
- Currently
licensed ESL teachers do not need to take any other tests if they wish
to remain ESL teachers, they do not need to acquire an ELL license,
and they can renew their ESL license every five years.
- ESL
teachers with an Initial license only should work on an option for their
Professional license that makes them highly qualified as well.
What
can currently licensed TBE teachers continue to do?
- Depending
on the level of the first license, they can continue teaching in bilingual
classrooms that have as their goal the transitioning of students to
instruction in general classes by no later than the third year.
- Taking
the current ESL test will not qualify them for teaching sheltered English
or sheltered subject matter classes because it alone does not indicate
that they have taken course work in or practiced sheltered English or
subject matter teaching.
- PreK-8
TBE teachers who wish to teach general elementary classrooms are legally
employable but may need to fulfill other requirements to become highly
qualified as general elementary teachers.
- Currently
licensed TBE teachers do not need to take other tests if they wish to
remain as TBE teachers, they do not need to acquire an ELL license,
and they can renew their TBE licenses every five years.
- TBE
teachers with an Initial license only should work on an option for their
Professional license that makes them highly qualified as well.
What
should people do who are now enrolled in ESL or TBE programs for a first
license?
- They
should complete their programs by September 2004, the proposed implementation
date for the new ELL license. They will be able to teach what currently
licensed ESL or TBE teachers can teach. They may also wish to consider
the additional options that are available by September 2004.
Following the Board’s approval of the ELL license, the Department
will issue more detailed guidance on what currently licensed ESL and TBE
teachers, as well as those now completing approved programs may need to
do to address Question 2.
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