Education Laws and Regulations

603 CMR 7.00:

Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval Regulations

Section:

  • 7.01: Purpose
  • 7.02: Definitions
  • 7.03: Educator Preparation Program Approval
  • 7.04: Types of Educator Licenses, Requirements for Licensure, Licenses Issued, and Requirements for Field-Based Experience
  • 7.05: Routes to an Initial Teacher License and Specialist Teacher Licenses
  • 7.06: Subject Matter Knowledge Requirements for Teachers
  • 7.07: Specialist Teacher Licenses
  • 7.08: Professional Standards for Teachers
  • 7.09: Licenses and Routes for Administrators
  • 7.10: Professional Standards for Administrative Leadership
  • 7.11: Professional Support Personnel Licenses
  • 7.12: Standards for Induction Programs for Teachers
  • 7.13: Standards for Induction Programs for Administrators
  • 7.14: Endorsements
  • 7.15: General Provisions
  • View All Sections

Most Recently Amended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: May 20, 2025

7.04: Types of Educator Licenses, Requirements for Licensure, Licenses Issued, and Requirements for Field-Based Experience

(1) Types of Licenses.

  1. (a) Provisional

  2. (b) Initial

  3. (c) Professional

  4. (d) Temporary

  5. (e) Military Spouse

(2) Requirements for Teacher Licensure.

  1. (a) Provisional. This is available only for licenses under 603 CMR 7.04 (3) (a)
    1. Possession of a bachelor's degree.
    2. Passing score on the Communication and Literacy Skills test.
    3. Passing score on the subject matter knowledge test(s) appropriate to the license sought, based on the subject matter knowledge requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.06, where available.
    4. Competency Review for candidates seeking the following licenses:
      1. Teacher of students with moderate disabilities, teacher of students with severe disabilities, teacher of the deaf and hard-of-hearing, and teacher of the visually impaired.
      2. Fields for which there is no subject matter knowledge test available.
    5. Additional requirements for the early childhood, elementary, teacher of students with moderate disabilities, teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing (Oral/Aural) and teacher of the visually impaired licenses:
      1. Seminars or courses on ways to prepare and maintain students with disabilities for general classrooms; for example, use of strategies for learning and of behavioral management principles.
      2. Passing score on the Foundations of Reading test.
    6. Additional requirements for the teacher of students with severe disabilities, and teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing (American Sign Language/Total Communication) licenses: Seminars or courses on ways to prepare and maintain students with disabilities for general classrooms; for example, use of strategies for learning and of behavioral management principles.
    7. Evidence of sound moral character.

  2. (b) Initial
    1. Possession of a bachelor's degree.
    2. Passing score on the Communication and Literacy Skills test.
    3. Passing score on the subject matter knowledge test(s) appropriate to the license sought, based on the subject matter knowledge requirements set forth in the Subject Matter Knowledge Guidelines. Where no test has been established, completion of an approved program will satisfy this requirement.
    4. Completion of an approved route for the Initial license sought as set forth in 603 CMR 7.05.
    5. For core academic teachers, possession of an SEI Teacher Endorsement or a Bilingual Education Endorsement.
    6. Evidence of sound moral character.

  3. (c) Professional
    1. Possession of an Initial license in the same field as the Professional license sought.
    2. Completion of a one-year induction program with a mentor and at least 50 hours of a mentored experience beyond the induction year.
    3. At least three full years of employment under the Initial license.
    4. Completion of one of the following:
      1. An approved licensure program for the Professional license sought as set forth in the Guidelines for Program Approval.
      2. A program leading to eligibility for master teacher status, such as those sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and others accepted by the Commissioner.
      3. For those who have completed any master's or higher degree or other advanced graduate program in an accredited college or university, at least 12 credits of graduate level courses each of which includes subject matter knowledge, or pedagogy based on the subject matter knowledge of the Professional license sought, or the Professional Standards for Teachers outlined in the Guidelines for the Professional Standards for Teachers. At least six of the 12 credits of graduate level courses must address the subject matter knowledge of the license sought and these may include credits earned prior to application for the license.
    5. Additional requirement for the teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing license (American Sign Language/Total Communication): Passing score on a test of sign language proficiency approved by the Department.

  4. (d) Temporary
    1. Possession of a bachelor's degree.
    2. Possession of a valid educator license or certificate from another state or jurisdiction.
    3. At least three years of employment under such valid license or certificate.
    4. Has not failed any part of the applicable licensure tests required by 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (a) 2. and 3.
    5. Evidence of sound moral character.

  5. (e) Military Spouse
    1. Possession of a bachelor's degree.
    2. Military Spouse as defined in 603 CMR 7.02
    3. Possession of a valid educator license/certificate issued by a state.
    4. Testing requirements for the license sought not yet satisfied.
    5. Evidence of sound moral character.

  6. (f) Alternative Assessment Options
    Any candidate who passes an alternative assessment approved by the Commissioner as comparable to the MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills test or a subject matter knowledge test will be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (a) (2), or (a) (3), or 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (b) (2) or (b) (3), or 603 CMR 1.06 (4) (a), as applicable. The Commissioner will publicly report annually data on all approved alternative assessments, including the number of candidates taking the alternative assessments and assessment pass rates. The Department will issue Guidelines for the approval and sustainability of all alternative assessment options.

(3) Licenses Issued. The following licenses will be issued and will be valid for employment at the grade levels indicated:

  1. (a) Teacher Licenses and Levels

    1. Biology
      8–12

    2. Business
      5–12

    3. Chemistry
      8–12

    4. Comprehensive Health
      PreK–8; 5–12

    5. Dance
      All

    6. Digital Literacy/Computer Science
      PreK–6; 5–12

    7. Early Childhood
      PreK–2

    8. Earth and Space Science
      8–12

    9. Elementary
      1–6

    10. English
      5–12

    11. English as a Second Language (ESL)
      PreK–6; 5–12

    12. General Science
      1–6; 5–8

    13. History/Social Science
      1–6; 5–12

    14. Latin and Classical Humanities
      5–12

    15. Library
      All

    16. Mathematics
      1–6; 5–8; 8–12

    17. Middle School: Humanities
      5–8

    18. Middle School: Mathematics/Science
      5–8

    19. Music: Vocal/Instrumental/General
      All

    20. Physical Education
      PreK–8; 5–12

    21. Physics
      8–12

    22. Speech
      All

    23. Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities
      PreK–8; 5–12

    24. Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities
      All

    25. Teacher of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
      All

    26. Teacher of the Visually Impaired
      All

    27. Technology/Engineering
      5–12

    28. Theater
      All

    29. Visual Art
      PreK–8; 5–12

    30. World Language
      PreK–6; 5–12

  2. (b) Specialist Teacher Licenses and Levels
    1. Instructional Technology Specialist, All
    2. Reading, All
    3. Speech, Language, and Hearing Disorders, All

  3. (c) Administrator Licenses and Levels
    1. Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent, All
    2. School Principal/Assistant School Principal, PreK–8; 5–12
    3. Supervisor/Director, Dependent on Prerequisite License
    4. Special Education Administrator, All
    5. School Business Administrator, All

  4. (d) Professional Support Personnel Licenses and Levels
    1. School Counselor, All
    2. School Nurse, All
    3. School Psychologist, All
    4. School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor, All

(4) Requirements for Field-Based Experience for the Initial License. Field-based experiences are an integral component of any program for the preparation of educators.

Pre-Practicum. They must begin early in the preparation program (pre-practicum) and be integrated into the courses or seminars that address Professional Standards for Teachers or Professional Standards for Administrators, in accordance with the Pre-Practicum Guidelines.

Practicum. A practicum or practicum equivalent must be supervised jointly by the supervisor from the preparation program in which the candidate is enrolled and the supervising practitioner. The supervising practitioner responsible for the larger portion of the practicum or practicum equivalent and the program supervisor will together evaluate the candidate on the basis of the appropriate standards. Disagreement between the supervising practitioner and the program supervisor will be resolved by the decision of a third person chosen jointly by them.

All individuals in educator preparation programs shall assume full responsibility in the licensure role for a minimum of 100 hours.

All practicum/practicum equivalents shall be completed within a Massachusetts public school, approved private special education school, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care approved preschool, educational collaborative, or a school that requires Massachusetts educator licensure.

Practicum or Practicum Equivalent Requirements are as follows:

(a)Early Childhood (100 hours in PreK–K, 200 hours in 1–2; at least one setting must include children with disabilities)300 hours
(b)Teacher, Grades 1–6300 hours
(c)Teacher, Grades 5–8300 hours
(d)Teacher, Grades 8–12300 hours
(e)Teacher, Grades PreK–6 or PreK–8300 hours
(f)Teacher, Grades 5–12300 hours
(g)Teacher, All
(150 hours at each of any two of the following levels: PreK–6, 5–8, 8–12)		300 hours
(h)Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (for PreK–8, 300 hours in an inclusive general education setting or 75 hours in an inclusive general education setting and 225 hours in a separate or substantially separate setting for students with moderate disabilities; for 5–12, 300 hours in an inclusive general education classroom or 150 hours in an inclusive general education classroom and 150 hours in a separate or substantially separate setting for students with moderate disabilities)300 hours
(i)Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities (at least 75 hours in an inclusive general education classroom at any level, and at least 150 hours in a setting with students with severe disabilities; the remaining 75 hours may be in either setting)300 hours
(j)Specialist (unless otherwise indicated)150 hours
(k)Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent500 hours
(l)Principal/Assistant Principal500 hours
(m)Supervisor/Director300 hours
(n)Special Education Administrator500 hours
(o)School Business Administrator300 hours
(p)Professional Support Personnel**(See individual license requirements)**

(5) Endorsements Issued:

  1. (a) Sheltered English Immersion Teacher

  2. (b) Sheltered English Immersion Administrator

  3. (c) Bilingual Education

  4. (d) Transition Specialist

  5. (e) Autism

  6. (f) Academically Advanced

  7. (g) Media Arts

Regulatory Authority:
M.G.L. c. 69, § 1B; c. 69, §§ 1J and 1K, as amended by St. 2010; c. 12, § 3; c. 71, § 38G, as amended by St. 2022, c. 154, § 10; c. 71, 38G ½; c. 71A, § 10; c. 76, § 19.

Disclaimer:
For an official copy of these regulations, please contact the State House Bookstore, at 617-727-2834 or visit Massachusetts State Bookstore .

Last Updated: June 13, 2025

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