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The Center for Education Policy + Practice has curated a variety of documents to support the application process for licenses issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Resources available on this page include original materials created by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and documents from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Educator Licensure. CEPP staff make every effort to update the information posted here in a timely manner.
DESE Office of Educator Licensure Links
- DESE Licensure home page
- Educator Licensure and Renewal (ELAR) Portal
- MTEL Updates
- License Requirements Tool
- FAQ and Glossary of Terms
- Foreign/International Degree Transcript Evaluation Services
- Educator Preparation Program Search
Emergency Licensure
- DESE Emergency Licenses Home Page
- 2022 DESE Emergency License FAQ
- Academic Educator 2022 Emergency License
- Vocational Technical Educator 2022 Emergency License
- Extension of Emergency Licenses
Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTELs)
All candidates for educators licensure must create an ELAR account before registering for any MTEL test. All license applications, payments and supporting documents are processed through the ELAR account.
- Academic Licensure MTEL
- Vocational Technical Licensure Exams
- MTEL Alternative Assessments Pilot
- CEPP/MTA CheckList MTEL Alternatives
- DESE MTEL Preparation Resources
Provisional Teacher
Initial Teacher Licensure & Educator Preparation
- DESE Educator Preparation Program Search Tool
- Performance Review for Initial Licensure (PRPIL)
- SEI Endorsement
- DESE Out-of-State Educator Preparation Program Verification
- DESE Foreign Teacher Panel Guidelines – for educators who completed a teacher preparation program outside of the United States
Initial License Extension
Educators who have completed five years of employment under the Initial license may be eligible for a one time extension to grant an additional five years of employment.
Professional Licensure Application
- 12 Credit Requirement: DESE Subject Matter Knowledge Educator Reference Guide
* This document outlines the subject matter or content for each license field. - DESE Master’s and 12 Credit Advisory and Course Pre-Approval Request Form
- DESE Employment Verification & Induction/Mentoring Form
- DESE Transcript/Degree Verification Overview
- DESE Request for Updated Evaluation for a Professional Teacher License
Professional Licensure Renewal
- DESE License Renewal Guidelines for Massachusetts Educators – 2017
- Quick Reference Guide to PDPs – MTA
- PDP Activity Log – MTA
- IPDP and IPDP Signature Page – MTA
- DESE Professional Development Directory
Audit of Professional License Renewal
Ch 74 Vocational Technical Educator Licensure
Preliminary and Emergency VTE Licenses
- Ch 74 Vocational Technical educator licenses are issued through DESE. All license applications are submitted through the ELAR system.
- Vocational Teacher Testing – NOCTI
- Vocational Technical Educator 2022 Emergency License
- Preliminary License Guidance – Ch 74 Vocational Technical Teacher
- DESE VTE Employment Verification Template
- DESE VTE Self-Employment Verification Template
- DESE Preliminary License Extension Guidance – Ch 74 Vocational Technical Teacher
VTE Professional Licensure Requirements and Application
- DESE Professional License Guidance – Ch 74 Vocational Technical Teacher
- DESE Employment Verification & Induction/Mentoring Form
- DESE SEI Endorsement for VTE Teachers
- DESE VTE Course Substitution for Professional License
Professional License Renewal for VTE Licenses
Administrator VTE Licenses
Retirement & MTRS for Ch. 74 Vocational Technical Educators
Vocational Education Credit – MTRS
Additional information about MTRS Creditable Service is available here.
Endorsements
- DESE SEI Endorsement for VTE Teachers
- CEPP/MTA SEI Endorsement Explainer
MTA Licensure Workshop Handouts
Please note, handouts from MTA licensure workshops are only available for a short time after the workshop session has ended. Please download and save copies of any resources for your own files. If you are looking for a document that is no longer posted online, please send an email to licensure@massteacher.org.
FTA Licensure for ESPs March 2023
FTA IPDPs & Audits: Professional Licensure March 2023
NEW Licensure Basics March 2023