Teaching & Learning Becoming an Educator
Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL)

MTEL Pass Rate Study Group Report - Recommendations for Addressing Disparities in MTEL Scores

As you know, in late May 2007 the Department released the results from the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) administered during the 2005-2006 school year. Those 2005-2006 test results indicated significant disparities in scores, particularly for minority and non-native English-speaking teacher candidates. After the release of this information, the previous Commissioner of Education, David Driscoll, asked the Educational Personnel Advisory Council (EPAC) to convene a group to review why so many minority and non-native English-speaking candidates were struggling to pass the state's licensure exam. This MTEL Pass Rate Study Group (see Attachment A in the enclosed report) first met in August 2008 and concluded their work in February 2008. Their final report was submitted to EPAC in late February 2008.

Our EPAC members reviewed and discussed this report at our meetings of March 5 and April 2, 2008. The Council includes representatives from teacher, administrator and teacher education programs, among other members. While not all of the organizational representatives were able to discuss the MTEL Pass Rate Study Group recommendations with their respective Executive Committees and thus could not officially respond to the Study Group report, the Council supports transmitting the attached MTEL Pass Rate Study Group Report to you, with the following reactions, reflections and recommendations:

• We urge the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to carefully consider Recommendation # 1 (Technical Aspects of the MTEL Program) and Recommendations #2 (Writing Sub-Test of the Communication and Literacy Skills Test) These recommendations are strong, detailed and worthy of considerable attention.

• We wholeheartedly endorse Recommendations #3 (Diversity Reporting), #8 (Building and Maintaining a Diverse Workforce), and #5 (Diversity Summit).

• We believe that these recommendations will help us all focus on the serious pipeline issues raise by the MTEL Pass Rate Study Group Report. We look forward to working with the Department in planning for the recommended 2008 Diversity Summit, which will address the question of how we can best develop a diverse and culturally proficient teacher workforce.

• We would like to add an additional emphasis to Recommendation # 7 (MTEL Preparation Support) with the following recommendations:

  1. Recognizing the disparate number of racial and linguistic teacher candidates who are not entering the profession, the Massachusetts Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE) will conduct data collection and analysis on the impact of the MTEL test and other factors on the pipeline of students who are preparing for licensure from the 59 approved higher education programs in Massachusetts. This analysis will include effects on racial and linguistic teacher candidates.

  2. A field identifying the test taker's higher education institution will be included as a mandatory field in the candidate's profile when they register for the test.

  3. MACTE should highlight and disseminate effective practices in member organizations that result in an increased pass rate for MTEL test-takers and encourage all member institutions to develop mechanisms to replicate these effective practice standards.

• The MTEL Pass Rate Study Group offered two additional recommendations that raise important issues and deserve further study and consideration, but which the Council cannot endorse at this point: Recommendation #4 (Alternative Demonstrations of Meeting the Standards) and Recommendation #6 (Modifications of Preliminary Licensure Requirements). EPAC looks forward to providing feedback, if requested, on Recommendation #4 and to working with the Department in further considering Recommendation #6.

Enclosure