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Assessment/Accountability MCAS
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

Fall 2009 Training/Retraining Sessions for Qualified MELA-O Trainers (QMTs)

To:Superintendents, Principals, and Directors of Charter Schools
Copy:English Language Learner Program Directors and Educators Serving English Language Learners
From:Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
Date:August 25, 2009

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The Department will hold training sessions in fall 2009 for current and prospective Qualified MELA-O Trainers (QMTs). The MELA-O is a statewide assessment based on observation and evaluation by QMTs and Qualified MELA-O Administrators (QMAs) who rate the oral English language proficiency of each student with limited English proficiency (LEP), and report these scores to the Department.

Final QMT Training Opportunity before January 31, 2010

Districts serving limited English proficient students are responsible for ensuring that all QMTs and QMAs who qualified before spring 2007 are retrained and pass a requalifying test by January 31, 2010, in order to continue administering the MELA-O and reporting scores to the Department. I encourage you to evaluate your need for a Qualified MELA-O Trainer (QMT) and, where appropriate, designate a participant for QMT training. Please visit http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin/melao_lep.html for a list of recently qualified QMTs/QMAs authorized to continue observing and rating students on MELA-O, and for a list of QMTs/QMAs who will no longer be authorized after January 31, 2010.

After completing the training and passing the qualifying test, QMTs are authorized to train QMAs, as needed, to ensure an adequate number of MELA-O administrators for their district.

Training/Retraining Sessions for QMTs

Two-day training sessions will be offered for new QMTs for districts that do not currently have a QMT; a one-day retraining session will be offered for existing QMTs who wish to requalify. Please note that each session for new QMTs is limited to 40 participants; the retraining session for current QMTs is limited to 60 participants.

Registration information follows:

Retraining Sessions for Current QMTs (one day) for districts with QMTs who qualified before spring 2007:

DatesLocationHours
Tuesday, October 13Westborough 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Training Sessions for New QMTs (two days) for districts that do not currently have a QMT:

DatesLocationHours
Monday, September 21 and Tuesday, September 22Westborough8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 3 and Wednesday, November 4Norwood8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Instructions for Registration

Please register online at www.mcasservicecenter.com. Under the "MEPA" heading, select "Registration for MELA-O Training," and complete and submit the registration form. The deadline for registration is one week prior to the session. Registrants will receive confirmation and driving directions. Please note that only confirmed registrants will be guaranteed admission.

Please contact the MCAS Service Center at 800-737-5103 if you have questions about registering for these training sessions.

Thank you for your attention to this information.



Last Updated: August 31, 2009
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