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Please note: The online platform undergoes standard maintenance from 5:30pm to 9:30pm every Thursday.
The CAP Online Platform is a secure, web-based tool aligned to the 2024 Guidelines for the Candidate Assessment of Performance . The platform enables CAP Managers, program supervisors, supervising practitioners, and teacher candidates to complete required forms and upload evidence.
While use of the CAP cycle is required for teacher candidates in Initial teacher programs, use of the CAP Online Platform is optional.
This page focuses on the technical aspects of the CAP Online Platform. For resources related to the assessment requirements and process, please reference the CAP Guidelines, CAP Handbook, and aligned implementation resources.
All resources below were updated in August 2025.
User Guides
Quick Reference Guides
The FAQs below are updated regularly based on common questions that DESE receives from users of the platform.
The CAP Online Platform is accessible via the Education Security Portal.
When logging in for the first time, please use the "Forgot Password" feature with the username and the email address associated with your account to set up a password. Additional resources can be found at Education Security Portal (ESP) Help.
If you are a CM, PS, or SP, you will be assigned a CAP-specific username.
If you are a TC, your username is the same as what you use to access ELAR.
Use the "Forgot Password" or "Forgot Username" features using the email associated with your CAP profile.
If you are having trouble logging in, please contact your CM or the ESP Help Desk.
If you are a CM, you may contact EducatorPreparation@mass.gov for assistance.
CM and PS have accounts affiliated with their sponsoring organizations. SPs receive a CAP specific account when they are added to a TC's cycle. If you are not seeing the TC you are working with in CAP, it is likely that you logged into our personal ELAR account.
CMs and PSs may start a CAP cycle. To do so, follow the instructions detailed in the User Guides and summarized below.
First, verify that you have the correct MEPID. If the MEPID is correct look into the following:
You must double click on the TC or SP name that you have searched to select it and move on to the next part of the cycle.
Yes, there is a 24-hour delay between when you enroll a TC in a program at your sponsoring organization and when you can create their CAP cycle in ELAR. This same delay applies if you change a TC's program.
You can begin to start new cycles for the upcoming program year after September 1st.
No, candidates can only have one CAP cycle for each program they are enrolled in.
Yes. If a candidate has been determined to be Not Ready to Teach, you are able to start a new cycle for the same educator preparation program.
Directory Administration is the system that manages permissions for all of the applications within the Education Security Portal. An organization's Directory Administrator can edit information in the Directory Administration application about the organization and people in the organization, including assigning a CM and PSs. If you have any questions about this role, please reach out to EducatorPreparation@mass.gov .
The CM is able to change PSs and SPs in the CAP Form.
The CM and PS are able to add SPs in the CAP Form.
The Early Literacy Look-Fors are automatically embedded at the top of Announced Observation 2 for Early Childhood, Elementary, and Moderate Disabilities PK–2/PK–8 candidates.
While DESE recommends that the Early Literacy Observation Form be completed in Announced Observation 2, there may be circumstances where a triad prefers to complete the observation during Announced Observation 1. In this case, the triad should complete the Announced Observation 2 Form with the Early Literacy Observation Form first. The triad should then complete Announced Observation Form 1 during the second observation. The CAP Online Platform does not prevent these forms being completed out of order.
Supervisors will be asked to select the Look-For grade band that aligns with the candidate's practicum placement grade level (PK–3, 4–5, or 6–8). During the observation, supervisors:
While there is a space to record notes specific to the Look-Fors, only the synthesized Evidence and Actionable Feedback sections will show up in the Formative and Summative Assessment Forms.
See the Quick Reference Guide — Early Literacy Observation Form for additional details.
The TC will not be able to work on the Self-Assessment Form until her or she has checked off "Complete Rubric" at the end of the Rubric Summary Form.
If an SP is unable to edit forms, it is likely they are employed at a private school or out-of-state.
This is likely because you toggled back and forth between the individual version of the form and the joint version of the form.
This can occur for two reasons.
For any forms that are required to be completed jointly (e.g. Announced Observations 1 and 2, Formative Assessment, and Summative Assessment), both supervisors must mark "Complete" to confirm that they have collaboratively worked on and approved the form. This is also true if you decide to conduct Unannounced Observation 1 or 2 jointly.
You may require the addition of a fifth observation form by selecting "Yes" in the dropdown menu next to "Require additional observation?" on the Formative Assessment. You must then upload an additional observation form as tagged evidence.
Yes, the character limit varies by field and is indicated at the bottom of each relevant open response box.
There is no print feature built into the CAP Online Platform, but forms can be printed using your web browser. A list of cycles can be exported or printed from the CM or PS Home Page.
As outlined in the 2024 CAP Guidelines:
Once you have selected the TC for whom you want to upload files, choose "Upload Evidence Files" under "Cycle Steps" in the left-hand navigation bar. You will be able to browse and select files to upload from your computer.
To appear on the Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment each file must be tagged to:
The maximum size for all evidence is 100 MB. If you exceed this limit, you will not be able to upload any more documents. Files must also be in one of the following formats: doc(x), .xls(x), .ppt(x) .pdf, .jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif, .mp3, .wav.
You can communicate with the other members of the triad using the envelope icon at the top right hand of the CAP Form once you are in an individual's CAP cycle. Messages sent through the platform will go to all members of the triad and will trigger an email alert.
Select the appropriate TC's name from the CM or PS home page.
The option to select "CAP Completed" will only be available once all required components are complete.
As laid out in detail within the 2024 CAP Guidelines and CAP Handbook, the required cycle components are a completed CAP Form, two Announced and two Unannounced observations, the Formative and Summative Assessments, and the three Three-Way Meetings.
The cycle completion year is linked to the date of the third three-way meeting. Once that date is set, the CAP cycle completion year will automatically be linked to the school year that the third three-way meeting occurred in. For example, if the third three-way meeting occurred on May 4, 2025, the CAP Cycle Year would be 2024-25.
Sponsoring organizations that do not use the CAP Online Platform should follow the instructions found in the Quick Reference Guide — CAP Data Retention and Submission . All submissions are due by July 15th each year.
Sponsoring organizations that use the CAP Online Platform for all candidates in all programs do not need to submit any data separately.
Sponsoring organizations that use the system for some candidates or some programs need to follow the instructions above for sponsoring organizations not using the CAP Online Platform for any candidates or programs that are not in the system.
If you are a program supervisor, supervising practitioner, or candidate and you need assistance navigating the platform, please reach out to your sponsoring organization's CAP manager.
If you are a CAP manager and your questions are not answered in the materials above, please reach out to EducatorPreparation@mass.gov .
Last Updated: August 1, 2025