CT license, experiential route

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inmortus
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Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:55 am

CT license, experiential route

Post by inmortus »

I've been reading about the CT experiential route for obtaining a CT license. I understand that with enough experience, they waive the initial teacher training (planned program) requirement (you do need a valid University degree of course).

However, their website also states:
"However, all coursework, degree, testing and any experiential requirements must still be met".

Testing requirements relate to the testing requirements for the specific field someone is requesting a license for, as well as the experiential requirements. However, I don't understand what they mean by "coursework" requirements? Would you need your Bachelor's degree to be on the same field? Or a specific amount of University credits on the subject field of the license? If so, I'm not sure how the experiential route really provides a benefit to experienced teachers without a teacher preparation program. Or am I understanding this wrong and as long as a person has a university degree, enough teaching experience and passed the required tests would be able to obtain a CT license even if the Bachelor's degree is unrelated with the specific field of the license and teaching experience? I.e. can someone with a B.Sc in management but several years of experience in Drench take the required tests for modern language French license for CT and apply for that license through the experiential route?
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@inmortus

CT is a traditional/academic EPP/ITT state. Each endorsement area for the classical academic subjects (elementary, science, maths, literature, history, etc.) have 4 requirements:
- Completion of an earned 4 year bachelors degree, or its equivalent.
- Completion of an academic major of no less than 30 credits/units in the teaching field sought.
- Successfully passing the appropriate state certification assessment (PRAXIS, etc.)
- Completion of an approved professional educator program

In the US tertiary education system it has become the norm that outside of elementary/primary EPP/ITT training secondary DTs should be prepared academically in their subject independent of teaching. This is generally accomplished at the undergraduate level by a major in the teaching field and either a second major or more commonly a minor in professional edu. So there are two academic study requirements the teaching subject program and the professional edu program. What CT is allowing is the candidate to substitute 2 years (20 months) of teaching experience for the professional edu EPP/ITT program. If a candidate has a degree in the teaching field they are seeking, and has passed the appropriate exam (PRAXIS), if they submit verification of 20 months (2 years of teaching experience) they do not need to complete the professional edu EPP/ITT program.

You must generally have 30 credits/units of related uni coursework in the area you are seeking a credential.
Your example is really interesting, because your specific example is different from the general requirements since French is a teaching shortage area. A B.Sc graduate in management would be able to ADD a French 7-12 endorsement to their CT credential without any additional coursework (in French) and would only be required to take the appropriate ACTFL (a US world language exam with both an oral and written component) exam, but this is a uncommon example that applies in only a few cases, primarily to teaching shortage subjects (the same would be true for maths as an example). In the same scenario but wanting a English literature credential, than no, the candidate would need to complete 30 credits/units of coursework in literature studies.
The short answer though in your scenario would be no, you can only ADD an endorsement in this way to an already existing credential, so you would have to qualify for a credential to begin with. In your scenario the candidate with their B.Sc in Business could take the PRAXIS exam for business, complete two years of teaching experience and obtain the Initial (entry grade) credential, and then could take the French ACTFL exam, and add a french endorsement to their Initial credential, they would not have to complete any additional coursework in French language.
inmortus
Posts: 55
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:55 am

Re: CT license, experiential route

Post by inmortus »

Thanks for the useful information.

Another different hypothetical context for the same case: if, before my Business studies, I had studied (but not completed) a degree in French, and can produce transcripts showing courses adding up to 30 credits; would these by accepted in order to cover the coursework requirements? Would a NACE evaluating company evaluate course by course a transcript of an unfinished degree?

Can you think of any other routes by which someone with a B.Sc in business but experience teaching a modern language might be able to get a teaching license? Other than Teach Now I mean...
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@inmortus

NACES evaluators will provide a course by course evaluation.

Maybe, it depends on the sequence and content of courses and if they are equivalent to a major in the field of French as a world language. Have you been teaching business or french for 2 years?
CT tends to work better for ITs who in addition to content academics have an academic background in edu, despite not leading to a credential as found in an EPP/ITT program, such as a PGCEi or an M.Ed. Typically when a candidate for a CT credential presents an application thats solely I have a degree, in something and Ive been teaching at Acme AS for two years is more likely to be denied and returned with a deficiency plan of coursework to be completed.

The recommended route would be to apply for an MA Provisional (entry grade) credential in French. You take two exams (both MTEL) and you get a provisional credential that will effectively be a lifetime credential. You need an undergraduate degree (any field). You would be applying for two credentials PK-6 French and 5-12 French, they have the same requirements. You would need to complete an NACES evaluation of your Uni coursework.

You could also apply for an ACSI certificate (not a credential) it would be valid for 2 years but doesnt require any assessment exams, the fee is USD$75.

Are there other options, yes, but why bother. For example you could do Teach Ready, and take the eligibility completion letter they give you that would otherwise be worthless and use it to get a HI provisional (entry grade) credential. It would be valid for 3 years, its not renewable, but if you teach for all three years of the credential you could then obtain the HI standard (professional grade) credential. Its an overall bad deal though. It would be better to get the MA provisional credential, use that to get a job that you could use to complete Teach Now and get a DC standard (professional grade) credential.

You could pursue QTS through the AO pathway.

You could get an ACTFL certificate in teaching French.

How deep down the rabbit hole do you want to go? On one end you have the immoral and ethically vapid options such a a 'borrowed ladder'. I dont know how common your name is but you just go though the various public credential lookup portals and hope you find one that matches your name and then you just appropriate it for your own use. You could do a 'boiler room', or a 'tail chaser'. On the other end of the spectrum you could find a country where a degree is the credential to teach have your bachelors recognized there, and then use that to apply for a credential from HI or DC for example.
inmortus
Posts: 55
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:55 am

Re: CT license, experiential route

Post by inmortus »

Thanks again.

Some followup questions on the MA Provisional license if I may. I have just looked it up and it states "Valid for five years of employment; however, starting on July 1, 2019, an educator who holds one or more provisional licenses may be employed under said license(s) for no more than five years in total.". I'm just wondering how this would relate this being effectively a "lifetime" credential. Is it that the 5 years only count if employed in MA? The official information also seems to state that it cannot be renewed.

If I am understanding correctly, for this provisional license all that is required is to have an undergraduate degree (in my case evaluated through NACES) and passing the tests? Not even experience? If I understand correctly, these tests are only done in MA, correct? Also, is it not an issue that I am not a US citizen, lacking a SSN, etc?

Also, out of curiosity: what is the AO pathway for pursuing QTS?


I apologize for all the questions; it's a bit hard not being used to the system!
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@inmortus

Yes exactly, its how MA defines "employment" which is specifically working in an MA public/maintained DS. Since you wont be working in a MA DS you wont be using any of that time, thus you will effectively have a lifetime credential (currently).
The rule change has zero effect on ITs, it was changed because previously an MA DT could take the history exam and get a provisional credential and teach economics with it for 5 years and then take the social science exam and get another provisional credential and teach economics on it for another 5 years, etc. The rule change ends that.

The MA provisional credential can not be renewed.

Yes, thats correct, no experience required, no EPP/ITT program required.

The French exam is only offered at certain times in a few locations in MA. It contains an oral language component and a written language component (one open response item each). The rest of the exam is multiple choice. The communication literacy exam and the business exam are offered nation wide in the US.

No, its not an issue. You contact the MA DOE and request an MEPID number, they will give you one which you will use to create an ELAR account and construct your application.

AO = Assessment Only. Its a route available to currently experienced ITs/DTs to obtain QTS. The TES Institute is a global provider of AO. You apply to their program, put together some portfolio work, and they send an observer to your ISs to evaluate your teaching (they typically contract with someone near your location). It can take as little as 12 weeks and costs about USD$1500 less than Teach Now or Teach Ready.
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