Special Education Teacher Licensure

Special Education Teacher Licensure

Here are the requirements for the Moderate Disabilities Licensure.  Please note that the requirements are different for a Provisional and Initial License. If you are in an educator preparation program, please remember to apply for the Initial license.

This is a general overview for someone getting their first license in MA; for more specific information related to your unique situation please refer to the DESE Licensure Requirements Tool. 

PreK-8, Provisional:

• Passing the Communications and Literacy MTEL

• Passing the General Curriculum Multi-Subject MTEL

• Passing one of the following:

  • Foundations of Reading MTEL

  • Reading Specialist MTEL

• Successful completion of the Structured Guidance and Supports Pathway (see below for more information)

• Completion of at least 10 hours of seminars or courses on ways to prepare and maintain students with disabilities for general classrooms 

  • You can use this tracker to calculate hours. Once you have enough hours please send the tracker to certification@upeducationnetwork.org to receive the verification letter. 

PreK-8, Initial:

• Passing the Communications and Literacy MTEL

• Passing the General Curriculum Multi-Subject Test and the following:

  • Foundations of Reading MTEL OR Reading Specialist MTEL

• SEI Endorsement

• Completion of a Massachusetts Moderate Disabilities PreK-8 Approved Program or approved program from out of state

5-12, Provisional:

• Passing the Communications and Literacy MTEL

• Foundations of Reading MTEL OR Reading Specialist MTEL

• A subject-specific MTEL (most people take math but you can take a different one)

• Successful completion of the Structured Guidance and Supports Pathway (see below for more information)

• Completion of at least 10 hours of seminars or courses on ways to prepare and maintain students with disabilities for general classrooms

• Completion of at least 10 hours (for each subject) of seminars or courses on English Language Arts, Math, and Reading 

  • You can use this tracker to calculate hours. Once you have enough hours please send the tracker to certification@upeducationnetwork.org to receive the verification letter. 

5-12, Initial:

• Passing the Communications and Literacy MTEL

• Foundations of Reading MTEL OR Reading Specialist MTEL

• A subject-specific MTEL (most people take math but you can take a different one)

• SEI Endorsement

• Completion of a Massachusetts Moderate Disabilities 5-12 Approved Program or approved program from out of state

Structured Guidance and Supports Pathway

This is a portfolio and observational pathway where you will be paired with a mentor teacher who has been on the licensure you seek for at least three years and has the knowledge and skillsets to guide you through the process. Here's a quick guideline of what to expect:

• The process is to take place over at least 150 hours. This is not in addition to your teaching load but in conjunction with it.

• There will be an introductory meeting between you, your mentor (called "supervising educator" in the paperwork), and an administrator at your school. This meeting will be a chance to talk over the timeline, goals to be reached, the rubric that will be used, and any other clarifications

• Your supervising educator will observe you utilizing the rubric (linked below) in your classroom with your students.

• You will have a second formative meeting to discuss your observation and talk over feedback.  This will also be with your supervising educator and administrator.

• After a second observation, the three of you will come back together for a summative meeting.  Your supervising educator will fill out the rubric and give you more feedback.  If there are areas that still need to be met before the supervising educator feels you are ready to be certified then additional time will be set up to discuss and provide the guidance needed. 

• Once the paperwork is filled out and your supervising educator feels comfortable signing off, send the paperwork to the talent team and they will sign and upload it to your ELAR account. 

NOTE: In order to be eligible for an additional waiver, you must complete this pathway within the first year of being on your first waiver.  The only exception is if you complete a pathway program elsewhere (BPS offers one, for example). 

Additional Note: You must complete this process every year that you are not certified in order to receive a waiver for the following school year.  

The Talent team will help you find a mentor; please reach out to certification@upeducationnetwork.org for support in this.  

Here are some resources to help you through this pathway:

Structured Guidance and Supports: Overview

Structured Guidance and Supports: Rubric and Necessary Forms (once complete, please send to certification@upeducationnetwork.org to be signed off)