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

Memorandum

Pursuant to its authority under M.G.L. c. 69, § 1B and 1H, and in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, M.G.L. c. 30A, § 3, the Massachusetts Board of Education is soliciting public comment on the Proposed Regulations for Licensure of Adult Basic Education Teachers and Preparation Program Approval, 603 CMR 47.00. We will accept public comment through March 23, 2001.

The draft of the regulations reflect two years of work by the members of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) Teacher Certification Advisory Committee, the offices of Teacher Certification & Credentialing, and Adult & Community Learning Services. Their goal was to develop an ABE Teacher's License that is rigorous, meaningful, and tailored to the specific characteristics of adult education. Over the last two years they have conducted focus groups, hosted on-line discussion groups, and presented at state-wide conferences to gather feedback on the model. We are confident that this new voluntary ABE Teacher's License will further strengthen and professionalize this field.

For twenty-five years prior to these legislative developments, certification has proven to be a contentious issue among adult educators. Over the past seven years, the Department has sponsored a structured and very spirited dialogue among adult educators that has laid the groundwork for resolving these differences and challenges with a heretofore unprecedented level of support. The Proposed Regulations for Licensure of Adult Basic Education Teachers are designed to address some commonly expressed practitioners' concerns. The following points summarize key differences, concerns, and challenges:

• The most obvious divisions have been between adult educators employed by organizations that require a Department granted certification for employment (e.g. school districts and correctional facilities) and those that do not (e.g. institutions of higher education and community based organizations).
• There is consensus among all adult educators regarding the importance of ensuring that every under-educated and/or limited English proficient adult receive effective, quality services. Many of the 2,500 adult educators who already possess from one to thirty years of experience in this field believe their certification must recognize the essential skills and abilities they already possess and that they may not need to enroll in courses to fulfill ABE licensure standards.
• Adult students (and the practitioners who serve them) are confronted with substantially different circumstances from children striving to master the same skills and abilities: their pursuit of education is voluntary, not mandatory; they must balance competing priorities; and in some respects they learn differently from children.
• An estimated 70% of Massachusetts adult educators are employed part-time without benefits, with incomes on average 20% below K-12 educators.

While the format of the ABE teacher's license is parallel to preK-12, and portions of the preK-12 regulations were adopted when appropriate, the content is specific to the needs of adult basic education. The proposed regulations present a proficiency-based license that reflects what adult basic educators have to know and be able to do in order to ensure the success of their adult students. The regulations also include multiple routes to licensure and multiple ways of demonstrating proficiency in the professional standards that respond to the wide range of prior experience and training applicants will bring to this process.

It is also important to note that significant progress has been made in developing this license, thanks in no small part to the hundreds of ABE practitioners who have taken the time to attend focus groups and to send us feedback over the last two years. This will be the first stand-alone ABE teacher's license in the nation. Other states typically build upon a pre-existing preK-12 license, or they issue an ABE certificate that isn't recognized by their state boards of education.

Copies of the proposed regulations are available on the Department's web site at www.doe.mass.edu/acls, or by calling 781-338-3854. Attached please find a questionnaire addressing significant components of the proposed regulations on which we are seeking input. If you would prefer, you may submit written comments in the form of a letter as well. Written comments on the proposed regulations may be submitted by mail to Mary Jayne Fay, ABE Certfication Specialist, Adult and Community Learning Services, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5023, by fax to 781-338-3394, or by e-mail to mjfay@doe.mass.edu. The deadline for submission of public comment is Friday, March 23, 2001.

Public hearings will be held from 3-7 p.m. on February 22 at Bunker Hill Community College, 250 New Rutherford Ave., Boston, MA 02129-2119 in Room A300, and on March 13, 3-7 p.m. Scibelli Room, 7th floor, Springfield Technical Community College, 1 Armory Square, Springfield, MA 01105.

The Board of Education is expected to vote on the proposed regulations at its meeting on April 24, 2001.

Thank you for your time and consideration.