(a) Candidates may qualify for licensure through successful completion of an approved preparation program leading to the license sought, providing they meet all other requirements. Individuals who complete approved programs are eligible for licensure reciprocity with other states that are parties to the NASDTEC Interstate Contract.

(b) Sponsoring organizations with approved preparation programs have the authority to review prior course work and work experience of their candidates and waive otherwise required course work, including the first half of the practicum or practicum equivalent, when designing programs of study for them. Granting such waivers is the official responsibility of the sponsoring organization. Records of candidates for whom coursework or other program requirements have been waived must be available during onsite review.

(c) A sponsoring organization that has received approval of one or more of its preparation programs is authorized to do the following:

1. Endorse a candidate who has completed an approved program.
2. Recommend a candidate for licensure, providing such candidate has both completed an approved program and passed all MTEL tests required for the Massachusetts license.

(d) A sponsoring organization seeking approval of its preparation program(s) shall invite the Department to review them. The sponsoring organization shall provide written evidence that it satisfies the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) and (3) for each program for which approval is sought. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall review the written information for each proposed program and verify it through an onsite review at the sponsoring organization. The Department shall use the same standards in reviewing all programs and sponsoring organizations for approval.

(e) Program approval will be for a period of five years, unless the program ceases to meet the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) and (3).

(f) During the five-year approval period a sponsoring organization that seeks approval of a new program may ask the Department for an informal review of that program. Sponsoring organizations seeking approval for the first time may also request an informal review. If the review is favorable, individual candidates who complete the program will be deemed to have met the requirements for licensure in Massachusetts, providing they meet all other requirements. Approval of the program will be considered at the time of the next five-year program review.

(a) Initial License. All sponsoring organizations and approved programs leading to the Initial license shall provide the following components:

1. Preparation that addresses the following:
   1. Subject matter knowledge requirements for the license. See 603 CMR 7.06, 7.07, 7.09, and 7.11. The following additional requirements apply to baccalaureate teacher preparation programs:
      1. For elementary, teacher of students with moderate disabilities, teacher of students with severe disabilities, teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, and teacher of the visually impaired licenses: not less than 36 semester hours in upper and lower level arts and sciences coursework addressing the relevant subject knowledge topics for those licenses set forth in 603 CMR 7.06. Some of this coursework might also count toward the required arts or sciences major or general education requirements.
      2. For middle school licenses: 36 semester hours in a mathematics/science or English/history program of studies. This does not exclude the possibility of obtaining a single subject license in any of these subjects for grades 5-8.
      3. For the general science license: at least 36 semester hours addressing the topics for the general science license.
   2. Knowledge of appropriate student learning standards in Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
   3. Professional Standards for Teachers or Administrators (603 CMR 7.08 and 7.10), including the use of Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in instruction.
   4. Application of knowledge in practice.
2. Pre-practicum.
3. Practicum or practicum equivalent.
4. License-specific assessment of candidate performance during the practicum or practicum equivalent, using guidelines developed by the Department.
5. Appropriate services for advising candidates.
6. Official transcripts of all candidates enrolled in each program.
7. Preparation and expertise that is appropriate for the respective roles and responsibilities of all professional educational faculty, faculty in the academic discipline most appropriate to the instructional field, and school district personnel involved in approved programs to prepare educators for licensure.
8. An annual report to the Department that includes the following information:
   1. Substantial changes in program components previously approved.
   2. Responses to any recommendations for improvement stated in previous program approval reports.
   3. Standards and requirements for program admission, admission to the practicum or practicum equivalent, and exit from each program.
   4. Number of candidates newly enrolled in each program.
   5. Number of candidates newly enrolled in the practicum or practicum equivalent for each program.
   6. Number and total list of program completers for each program.
   7. Number and total list of program completers taking Massachusetts educator licensure tests and the explanation for any difference between 603 CMR 7.03 (2) (a) 7.f. and g.
   8. Number and total list of program completers who sought and of those, who obtained a teaching position within the first year after program completion.
   9. Single assessment and aggregate pass rates of program completers of all programs leading to Initial educator licensure on licensing tests or assessments required by the Board.
   10. The sponsoring organization's summary pass rate, for completers of all programs leading to Initial licensure as a teacher, on licensing tests or assessments required by the Board.

(b) Professional License. Approved programs leading to the Professional license shall demonstrate the following components:

1. Preparation that satisfies the requirements in 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (c) 5.a., b.i., or c.i. Coursework and experiences used by candidates to satisfy the requirements for an Initial license may not be used to satisfy the requirements for the Professional license in the same field. The academic disciplines appropriate to the instructional field of the Professional license sought are specified in appropriate provisions of 603 CMR 7.06 for teachers and in 603 CMR 7.07 for specialist teachers.
   1. Approved teacher or specialist teacher license programs sponsored by a school district, collaborative, professional association, or other non-higher education institution of at least 50 contact hours of content-based seminars beyond the induction year.
   2. Approved programs sponsored by accredited higher education institutions.
      1. For early childhood, elementary, physical education, teacher of students with moderate disabilities, teacher of students with severe disabilities, teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, teacher of the visually impaired, and other teacher licenses at levels PreK-8: at least half the credits are in any combination of: upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses in arts or sciences or in professional schools other than education, in the academic disciplines appropriate to the instructional field of the license sought; and pedagogical courses advanced beyond those for the Initial license and based on the academic discipline appropriate to the instructional field of the Professional license sought.
      2. For specialist teacher licenses and teacher licenses at levels 5-12 and All: at least half the credits are in upper level undergraduate or graduate level courses in arts or sciences or in professional schools other than education and are in the academic disciplines appropriate to the instructional field of the Professional license sought.
      3. For teacher licenses at levels 8-12: at least half the credits are in graduate level courses in arts or sciences or in professional schools other than education, in the academic disciplines appropriate to the instructional field of the Professional license sought.
2. Appropriate services for advising candidates.
3. Official transcripts of all candidates enrolled in the program.
4. Preparation and expertise that is appropriate for the respective roles and responsibilities of all professional educational faculty, faculty in the academic discipline most appropriate to the field of the license, and school district personnel involved in approved programs to prepare educators for licensure. Contributions of faculty in the academic discipline most appropriate to the field of the license are evident in all pedagogical courses for the academic discipline.
5. An annual report to the Department that includes the following information:
   1. Substantial changes in program components previously approved.
   2. Responses to any recommendations for improvement stated in the previous program approval report.
   3. Standards for admission to and exit from each program.
   4. Number of candidates newly enrolled in each program.
   5. Number and total list of program completers for each program.

(a) All sponsoring organizations with approved programs and each approved program shall demonstrate an 80% pass rate of program completers who take state licensing tests and assessments required for Initial licensure in the field and at the level of preparation.

1. For sponsoring organizations, this shall be the summary pass rate.
2. For each approved program, this shall be the single assessment pass rate for subject matter tests or the aggregate pass rate for the Communication and Literacy Skills Test where there is no subject matter test.

(b) Sponsoring organizations and each of their approved programs shall report pass rates only when there are ten or more in a cohort of completers who take a test.

(c) The sponsoring organization shall publish, in official organizational publications, the initial and cumulative pass rates, for each cohort of program completers who take required state licensure tests:

1. Reading subtest (single assessment pass rate).
2. Writing subtest (single assessment pass rate).
3. Communication and Literacy Skills Test (aggregate pass rate).
4. Each Subject Matter Knowledge Test (single assessment pass rate).
5. All Subject Matter Knowledge Tests (aggregate pass rate).
6. All tests of subject matter knowledge and communication and literacy skills (summary pass rate).

(d) Organizations with fewer than ten program completers in any cohort shall aggregate the pass/fail status of test-takers over multiple years until the number of completers who take tests reaches ten. At that point, an organization shall be subject to the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (3) (a) 2. and (c) 5., providing that approval shall not be revoked until the organization has a second total of at least ten new program completers who take required state licensure tests.

(e) Programs with fewer than ten program completers in any cohort are not obligated to report pass rates for such programs, and those with at least ten program completers in any cohort shall be subject to the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (3) (a) 2. and (c) 4.

(a) Any program that fails to demonstrate that it satisfies all of the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) and (3) shall be subject to review and possible revocation of approval.

(b) The Department may initiate a review of such a program and request an improvement plan. The Department shall offer technical assistance where appropriate.

(c) The sponsoring organization shall submit an improvement plan to the Department for programs that are under review. The Department will monitor progress in meeting the goals of the improvement plan. If, after two years under review, a program has not made satisfactory progress, its approval may be revoked. The Commissioner may extend the review for a third year if additional data must be collected, e.g., for small programs.

(d) The Commissioner will make the final determination regarding revocation of state approval of an individual program.

(a) Any sponsoring organization that fails to meet an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by its program completers in any year (summary pass rate) or to demonstrate that it satisfies any other Program Components set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) shall be subject to revocation of approval of all its programs and shall be referred to the Commissioner for review.

(b) The Commissioner shall initiate a review of all the programs offered by a sponsoring organization that has been referred for review and issue a report. Such report shall identify potential areas for improvement of those programs and offer technical assistance where appropriate.

(c) A sponsoring organization that has been referred for review shall have 60 days to submit an improvement plan to the Department. The Department will monitor progress in meeting the goals of the improvement plan for two years. At the end of two years the Commissioner shall make a determination as to whether the organization has made satisfactory progress.

1. Sponsoring organizations whose programs have achieved an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by program completers (summary pass rate) and satisfy all other Program Components set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) shall be taken off review.
2. Sponsoring organizations whose programs have not achieved an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by program completers (summary pass rate) but have made satisfactory progress shall be monitored for one more year.
3. Sponsoring organizations whose programs have not achieved an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by program completers (summary pass rate) and who have not made satisfactory progress shall be designated as "at risk of becoming low performing" in the state's annual report to the U.S. Department of Education.

(d) If, after three years under review, a sponsoring organization fails to achieve an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by program completers (summary pass rate), the Commissioner shall designate the organization as "low performing" and recommend that the Board of Education revoke approval of all of the sponsoring organization's educator preparation programs. The Board will make the final determination.

(a) A sponsoring organization must wait two years after revocation before it can apply to the Department to restore approval. The sponsoring organization shall submit written documentation of how it will address the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) and (3).

(b) The Department will review the written documentation to determine whether the organization and its program(s) satisfy all of the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) and (3). Programs that demonstrate that they satisfy the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) will be allowed to recruit students.

(c) Upon demonstration of an 80% pass rate on all required state licensure tests taken by the first cohort of program completers (summary pass rate), the Commissioner will restore approval to the program or sponsoring organization, providing it continues to satisfy the requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) and (3).

(a) All programs approved prior to October 1, 2001 must comply with 603 CMR 7.03 by October 1, 2003.

(b) Sponsoring organizations seeking approval of new programs after October 1, 2001 must comply with 603 CMR 7.03

(c) Individuals who complete an approved preparation program after October 1, 2003 will have to meet the requirements in 603 CMR 7.00 to qualify for licensure.