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Student Assessment
We are writing to provide an important update on the available approved alternative assessments to the MTEL.
The Department will no longer accept the following alternative assessments in lieu of the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL after the June 29, 2026 testing window. Candidates wishing to access any of the following alternatives should register and test as soon as possible.
For more information about the implementation of this transition, please see below.
Following the end of the regulatory alternative assessment pilot, the Board voted in May 2025 for a permanent change allowing for approved alternative assessments to the MTEL. As a result, the Department extended the contract approving alternatives to the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL, and Other Approved Alternatives that were approved during the pilot for one additional fiscal year. The currently contracted alternative assessments to the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL, and Other Approved Alternatives are approved through June 30, 2026*.
Per the Guidelines for Approved Alternative Assessments,
"Proposals for alternative assessments are approved through BIDs released by DESE as part of state procurement processes. Alternative assessments are not approved outside of the procurement process and are not accepted on an ad hoc basis."
The Department did not receive BIDs to continue operating the CASA, the MoGEA, and the WEST-B alternative assessments as part of the BID opening date on March 23, 2026. As a result, the Department will no longer be accepting these alternatives taken after June 30, 2026 at the expiration of their current contract.
The Department will continue to accept CASA, MoGEA, and WEST-B score reports from the period of time that they were approved for the purposes of licensure, but will not accept any results for tests taken after the June 29, 2026 testing window.
Accepted date ranges
Educators who have taken one of the above tests during the accepted date ranges can upload a copy of the paper score report for the CASA, MoGEA, or WEST-B to their ELAR account to be included with their license application. Once they have uploaded the report, they should alert the Licensure Help Line to have the scores verified. The Help Line is open weekdays 9am–12pm and 2pm–5pm and may be reached at 781-338-6600.
The Department will be posting a release regarding the continuing, and new, approved alternative assessments, in the coming weeks.
Please note that approved alternative assessments separate from the newly approved alternative licensure pathway allowing for the waiver of the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL based on specific eligibility requirements. For more information about the new alternative licensure pathway, please see the alternative licensure pathway FAQs.
*Separate contractual processes are in place for the MTEL-Flex options and the educator preparation attestations. This notice does not apply to those alternative assessments.