February 26, 2025 |Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Education, News, Resources

Healey-Driscoll Administration Proposes Alternative Tests for Educator Licensure to Strengthen Workforce

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Board of Elementary and Secondary Education seeks public comment on regulations that would make MTEL alternatives permanent 

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education unanimously voted today to seek public comment on establishing alternative assessments to the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). Offering a range of assessments for aspiring teachers will improve the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s efforts to strengthen and diversify the educator workforce.  

Today’s proposal to make MTEL alternatives permanent are informed by a successful five-year pilot program. Since 2020, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has approved 26 alternative assessments for educator licensure through this pilot. The assessments were intended to expand access to the teaching profession, allowing prospective teachers to demonstrate competencies in different ways while maintaining high standards for subject matter knowledge, communications and literacy skills. 

“Massachusetts is home to the best teachers in the nation. Being able to offer additional licensure assessments will bring even more talented educators into the profession, particularly in some of our highest need schools and districts.”    

Governor Maura Healey

“Massachusetts has high standards for teachers, and we know that not everyone demonstrates their knowledge in the same way,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “I’m excited that this proposal would offer aspiring educators new pathways into teaching.” 

The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) at the American Institutes for Research engaged with DESE for a multiyear evaluation of the MTEL alternative assessment pilots. According to their recent evaluation, overall, candidates who took the alternatives are more diverse than those who took the traditional MTEL, have contributed to higher rates of licensure and employment throughout the state, and are performing similarly to teachers who passed traditional MTELs. 

“I want to thank Acting Commissioner Johnston and his team and the Board for today’s exciting and important step toward making our teacher workforce even stronger,” said Education Secretary Patrick A. Tutwiler. “These efforts are a testament to the continued importance of making data informed decisions and investing in research. In our state, we remain focused on building a more inclusive and effective teacher workforce for years to come.”  

“Massachusetts has high standards for teaching and learning. These additional licensure assessment options reflect that high bar while opening the door to many new and talented educators,” said Russell D. Johnston, acting commissioner of elementary and secondary education. 

The proposal to make alternative licensure assessments to the MTEL permanent is now open for public comment. Details on the proposal are available here. The survey to submit feedback will be linked to this page. The Department plans to bring final regulations back to the Board in June 2025 for adoption.

“I’m grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their work to strengthen the educator workforce by establishing permanent alternative assessments to the MTEL,” said State Senator Jason Lewis (D-Fifth Middlesex). “To further increase the diversity of the educator workforce and improve student outcomes, we also look forward to DESE beginning work on the alternative certification process that would allow for a waiver of one of the required tests based on relevant education or experience which was authorized in the Educator Diversity Act passed last fall.” 

“In our Commonwealth we have the most effective and highly qualified teacher workforce in the entire country,” said State Representative Manny Cruz (D-Seventh Essex). “By permanently creating multiple pathways to licensure we will be reducing barriers to both recruitment and retention, reduce teacher shortages, and we will also be able to accelerate our progress to diversifying the educator workforce across Massachusetts. I want to thank Acting Commissioner Johnston, the BESE, and the dedicated public servants of DESE who made this promising practice a reality for our educators.”

The above press release was submitted to us by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.