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Educator Effectiveness

Subject Matter Knowledge Frequently Asked Questions — April 2019

The Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) Guidelines released in August 2018 reflect a significant shift in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE's) approach to outlining content expectations for teachers, emphasizing the importance of aligning standards for students with expectations for educators. Below are some of the questions we have received from the field about implementing updates in alignment with the SMK Guidelines. If you have additional questions, please reach out to EducatorPreparation@mass.gov .


  • The prior SMK requirements included content knowledge needed in the Foundations of Reading MTEL assessment; where are these now?

    The second subheading for crosscutting SMKs on page 6 of the SMK Guidelines , which begins with, "For all Pre-K-12 educators licensed in …" outlines the knowledge needed to support students in mastering the foundations of reading.

    • Last Updated: August 16, 2023

 
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