Family & Community Adult Education Adult & Community Learning Services
Adult and Community Learning Services

Technical Review of the ABE Licensure Model by Educational Testing Service

In an effort to start the newly created Adult Basic Education portfolio licensure process off on a strong foundation, the Department contracted the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to review the portfolio development, the panel review processes, and the training process for panel members. ETS was selected as the contractor because of their extensive experience with portfolio evaluation models, including the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Attached are the following submitted by Mari Pearlman, Vice President and General Manager of ETS' Teaching and Learning Division:

1. December 4, 2003 letter in which Ms. Pearlman praises the Department for its forward thinking in having this emerging process evaluated in its early stages, and for developing an authentic and rigorous model; noting that it is the only model of which they are aware that is entirely portfolio based.

2. ETS's report that outlines areas of strength and areas that still need to be addressed in this emerging licensure process.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to Ms. Pearlman for her careful review and consideration of the ABE Licensure Model.

The ABE licensure process is entering its third year and several remaining areas of development are occurring simultaneously. The Department acknowledges and ETS agrees that some of these areas are dependent upon receiving more sample portfolios and the training of additional review panel members. Until such time, the Guidelines for the ABE Teacher's License are considered to be a draft. Outlined in the Department's August 13, 2003 memo to ETS (see attached), are some of the areas on which we intend to work and view the list as a plan for on-going development and refinement of the licensure process. In addition to these areas of development, the Department is reevaluating current policies including those regarding the publication of evaluation rubrics and the scoring policy for those rubrics.

Linked to this memo is the Technical Advisory Committee Report referenced by ETS that includes the committee's recommendations regarding the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). The MTEL tests consist of the Communication and Literacy Skills test, which contains both reading and writing subtests, and license specific subject matter tests, of which the ABE Subject Matter Test will be one.    Report of the Technical Advisory Committee on the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure

Questions or comments about the report or the ABE licensure process should be directed to Mary Jayne Fay, Adult Basic Education Licensure Coordinator at licensureabe@doe.mass.edu.