Developing an Adult Basic Education Licensure Process for Massachusetts
The ABE Teacher Certification Update is published by the ESE (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) in coordination with SABES (System of Adult Basic Education Support) in an effort to keep practitioners and interested parties apprised of the status of the ABE Certification. This issue is a summary of recent progress made by the statewide ABE Teacher Certification Advisory Committee and a projection of future. This Update, past issues, and other relevant documents are posted on the ESE Website www.doe.mass.edu/acls and the SABES Website www.sabes.org.
Competency list nearly approved
A listing of 34 ABE teacher competencies, with indicators of proficiency, has been approved by the Committee, with the exception of two competencies that will require further discussion. Successive drafts of the list have been composed from the careful study of competencies devised by past Massachusetts task forces and committees, the ESE Certification Office, several other state bodies, as well as organizations in Canada and Great Britain. Feedback from field practitioners was repeatedly incorporated. The Committee is now debating the recommended levels of proficiency for several key competencies so that all competencies will be consistently and fairly measured once the certification is under way. The Committee-approved draft will be released for review and feedback within an interim report within the next two months.
Summary of major findings:
Grandfathering or crediting for prior knowledge and skills. While grandfathering per se has been prohibited by the 1993 Education Reform Act, practitioners felt there should be some method for acknowledging the many years of schooling, training, and experience of so many ABE educators. While some felt that a quick prior credit process could be developed, a roughly equal number felt that a deeper kind of scrutiny was required. A great deal of support emerged for a portfolio-based process, with a few attendees adding that the process should involve reflection on practice and even direct observation of classroom teaching.
Streamlining options
Feedback from the field indicates a strong desire for fair methods of recognizing ABE practitioners' prior knowledge and experience within the certification process. Grandfathering--in this case, the automatic granting of full certification--is not supported under the Education Reform Act; therefore, a streamlining proposal is under discussion. The Committee is considering several options wherein a pre-K-12 certification and/or several years of experience in the field may be assumed to indicate that a candidate has achieved specific competencies and therefore those competencies would be considered fulfilled.
Baseline requirements also under debate
In earlier meetings, the Committee has voted to require a bachelor's degree or equivalent as a baseline requirement for entering the certification process. Feedback gathered from last December's "Certification Roadshows" and subsequent ballotings indicated that for every two practitioners who want a bachelor's degree alone as the requirement, one practitioner wants an alternative approach to include quality teachers without degrees in the process. At this time, the Committee is examining options to determine if there are fair, solid alternatives to a bachelor's degree.
Issues still before the Committee
Several key issues will be discussed by the Committee in upcoming meetings:
- options for demonstrating proficiency and achieving competencies
- practica requirements
- recertification/professional development requirements
- ABE subject matter test, and
- piloting the teacher certification
Revised timeline
Commissioner Driscoll and interested legislators have indicated that they are pleased with the Committee's progress to date. Additional time has been granted to finalize work; at this point, a formal Interim Report is due to the Commissioner in April. Shortly after its submission, the Report will be distributed to the field for review and feedback. To ensure a good deal of considered feedback from practitioners, Mary Jayne Fay and Carey Reid will mount a second series of Roadshows across the state in the spring. Be sure to watch future Updates and the ESE and SABES Websites for more information.
By best estimates, the final draft of the certification process recommended by the ABE Teacher Certification Advisory Committee will be submitted for approval to the Board of Education sometime in September or October of this year. At that point, there will be a period for formal public comment and hearings.
SABES pilot courses
ESE and SABES have been revising past pilot courses and developing new ones based on the newest certification developments. Two new pilot courses will be offered between now and August 31st. Stipends and PDPs are available. Please call the relevant office to get the latest information.
- Technology, Northeast SABES (978-738-7302)
In this course practitioners will explore the rich possibilities of using technology to enhance classroom practice. Participants will learn the nuts and bolts of file management and troubleshooting, use email to set up student listservs, design video projects, and evaluate educational software.
- Knowledge of the Field, Central SABES (508-854-4476)
In this course practitioners will explore an overview of the field of adult basic education from the history of the field; to the contexts in which ABE takes place; to an introduction to the policies, procedures, and funding of ABE. The course will be offered in three modules, and participants will have the option of taking one or more modules.
A Math/Numeracy course is under way at Southeast SABES until May 20th. An Overview of Basic Literacies course is currently being developed for presentation in the late summer or early fall. Four additional courses are being developed, one of which will be offered in the western region beginning in mid-Fall.
Your feedback is critical!
It is not too late to have your comments heard. All work done to date are drafts. Please take the time to give us your reactions. They will help to shape the course of discussions within the ABE Certification Advisory Committee. Our hope is to open the lines of communication and to encourage feedback from the field. To those of you who have responded, we thank you. For those of you who have not, we encourage you to send your responses via letter, fax, or email to:
Mary Jayne Fay
ABE Certification Specialist
Adult and Community Learning Services
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
email: MJFAY@doe.mass.edu
FAX: 781-338-3394
last updated: April 1, 2000
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