Office of Educator Licensure

Alternative Licensure Pathway: Standards of the Comm. & Lit. Skills MTEL

On April 28, 2026, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) approved a series of changes to the regulations for Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval (603 CMR 7.00). The regulatory changes focus on creating an alternative licensure pathway that allows an aspiring educator and/or existing educator, the ability to waive the Communication and Literacy Skills Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) test should they satisfy the eligibility criteria.

This new regulation stems from the Mass Leads Act, Chapter 238 of the Acts of 2024. The Board approved the proposals following overwhelming support for the new pathway with over 200 public comments received. During the 60+ day public comment period, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) received comments from individuals who serve in roles within districts and preparation programs; advocacy organizations; students, family and community members; and statewide associations and organizations, with 56 percent of comments coming from teachers.

Applicants for licensure will have an option to pass the Communication and Literacy Skills (C&L) MTEL test, or an approved alternative assessment, or they can utilize this new pathway, should they qualify.

Below are the requirements and implementation details for this new pathway.

Requirements:

Candidates may waive the C&L test based on meeting one of the following:

1. Obtained certification equivalent to an initial or professional Massachusetts (MA) license in another state or territory in the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as approved by the department; or
2. Obtained a master's degree or doctorate from an accredited institution; or
3. Completed a MA approved preparation program; or
4. Completed two years of full-time equivalent instructional experience in a MA school district with a recommendation from a school or district leader.

Implementation:

Similar to applying for a license, a candidate will be able to apply for the C&L waiver via their Educator Licensure and Renewal (ELAR) account.

There is no cost to submit this application and pursue this pathway. When submitting the application in ELAR, the candidate will need to select which pathway applies to them (see 1–4 above for applicable pathways).

DESE will review the application to determine if the "waiver" can be granted. If so, the applicant will be considered to have satisfied the requirements of the C&L test, and this requirement will be considered as met for this application and any future applications where this test is required.

The Licensure Office anticipates being able to accept applications in ELAR no later than May 14, 2026.