The Van Loan School at Endicott College offers Masters in Education programs in both Massachusetts licensure as well as non-licensure programs. All education programs focus on best practices in high quality and coherent instruction, authentic and meaningful student assessments, developing effective partnerships with families and the community, and ethical, culturally proficient, and collaborative practice. Endicott College has a long history of preparing educators through its graduate licensure programs. Approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, these programs provide students with a combination of coursework and field experiences that focus on the Massachusetts Professional Standards for Teachers.
Licensure
In order to be endorsed for licensure by Endicott College, all program requirements must be met, including completion of coursework, pre-practicum, practicum, MTELs and the Comprehensive Exam. Students should work closely with their advisor and Endicott’s Licensure Officer to ensure that they are pursuing the correct program of study for the license sought. Throughout their program, licensure candidates must collect the artifacts identified in each syllabus as evidence of their developing proficiency in the Massachusetts Professional Standards for Teachers (PSTs): 1. Curriculum, Planning and Assessment; 2. Teaching All Students; 3. Family and Community Engagement; and 4. Professionalism. Collection of PST Artifacts is done electronically and forms the foundation for the Educator Licensure Comprehensive Exam completed at the end of the program. Students should be advised that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) may change licensure regulations and requirements at any time and that those changes may impact licensure requirements.
Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL)
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education mandates that all students pass the Massachusetts Tests of Educator Licensure (MTEL) as part of the licensing process. Endicott supports this requirement by incorporating the relevant MTEL tests into the licensure programs. Passing scores on the Communication and Literacy MTEL are required for admission to the licensure programs. Students must complete all additional required MTELs prior to enrolling in the practicum. Fees for taking the MTEL will be the responsibility of the student. For more information about the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, see http://www.mtel.nesinc.com.
Comprehensive Examinations for Programs Leading to Massachusetts Educator Licensure
At the end of all licensure programs, students take the ED 696 Educator Licensure Comprehensive Exam. The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to demonstrate knowledge of the substantive issues, key research questions, theories, empirical evidence, and
implications related to the student’s graduate education licensure coursework and requires artifacts from across their course of study. The foundation of the exam are the Massachusetts Professional Standards for Teachers which guide all teacher licensure programs. Students failing the exams are allowed two retakes within a one-year period of time. Failure to successfully complete the examination within that period of time results in dismissal from the program. Students are allowed up to seven years from the date of starting the first class to the date of completing the Master’s degree. Courses more than seven years old are lost under the default clause of Endicott College Student Handbook.
Non-Licensure Programs
Endicott recognizes that all students seeking a master’s degree in the field of education do not intend to be public school teachers in the state of Massachusetts. For this reason, non-licensure degree options are available which do not require the MTEL, the practicum or the seminar. In place of the practicum and seminar, the non-licensure programs require electives to meet the 36 credit degree requirement. Students who switch to non-licensure programs cannot switch back to licensure programs without Director’s approval. Prior to Fall 2016: students who change from the licensure to the non-licensure concentration after completing ED 542 Sheltered English Immersion should be aware that the course will not count toward the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Students who complete the course in the non-licensure master’s degree will need to take the course again–as part of a licensure program or as a DESE approved stand alone SEI endorsement course–to receive the SEI Endorsement from the state of Massachusetts.
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