The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) regulations call for all teachers applying for an initial teaching license in a given field (e.g., reading) to complete pre-practicum experiences. Below is a summary of how this requirement will be met for students enrolled in the reading licensure programs at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

1. Minimum number of hours: 25
2. Activities: Examples include:
   - Observing reading specialists teaching whole classes, small groups, and individuals
   - Taking some responsibility for teaching reading
   - Observing meetings related to reading instruction or student educational plans
   - Tutoring students for the MCAS exam
3. Documentation: Barring extenuating circumstances, the Pre-Practicum Hours Log Form (located in Appendix C) should be completed with required signatures before the formal practicum begins.

II. THE LITERACY PRACTICUM

CD 882: The School-based Literacy Practicum is a 150-hour internship under the supervision and mentorship of a Licensed Reading Specialist in the public schools and 766 approved private schools. The practicum is individualized. All students have the opportunity to:

1. Meet the requirements and standards of the MA Department of Education.
2. Gain professional exposure to well-integrated clinical and school-wide literacy leadership roles.
3. Build on previously developed professional skills/experience.

The Reading Specialist role varies from school to school and building to building across the Commonwealth. Therefore, practicum sites and mentors are chosen carefully to include: a balance of clinical and classroom service delivery experiences, exposure to a variety of individual and group assessments, and a broad range of consultative experiences among professional teams of educators (e.g., principals, classroom teachers, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, special educators). Students must demonstrate a number of competencies as they complete their reading practicum. These competencies are listed in Appendix C.

The MGH Institute has contractual practicum agreements with many Massachusetts public and private schools. Our students enjoy priority placements at these sites. Institute faculty members work closely with each site to develop a practicum experience that not only addresses the goals of our students and the Massachusetts licensure requirements, but also serves the most critical literacy needs of each public school site.

CAS students who are working full time typically complete the reading practicum in their own schools. However, a DOE licensed Reading Specialist must be present in the school and willing to supervise the teacher completing the practicum. See Appendix C for a copy of the contract agreement that both the student and supervisor must sign.

Grading for the reading practicum is Pass/Fail. Students are evaluated at midterm and during the final week of the practicum. Together, the site practicum supervisor and a CAS faculty member evaluate practicum students. Self-evaluation is also part of the process. Evaluations are completed in written (See Appendix D) and verbal form. Copies of written evaluations are kept on file in the CSD Program Office. Documents kept on file in the CSD Program Office are contained in Appendix D.

The School-based Literacy Practicum follows the MA Department’s 603 CMR 7.00 Regulations for Educator Licensure and Program Approval (most recently amended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2015).

For the complete Regulations, see: http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr7.html?section=all). The following from the Regulations pertains specifically to the Practicum.

Key terms and Definitions (as defined in the 603 CMR 7.00 Regulations)

Field-Based Experience: Experiences such as observation of a variety of classrooms, pre-practicum, practicum/practicum equivalent, internship, apprenticeship, or administrative internship that are integral components of any program for the preparation of educators. Field-based experiences shall cover a range of time periods within the school year.

Inclusive General Education Classroom Experience: A practicum that takes place in a classroom that serves both students with and without disabilities. The students with disabilities must be receiving some of their Individualized Education Program services in the classroom setting. The teacher candidate must address the individual and group needs of all of the students (with and without disabilities) who are assigned to the classroom and receive supervision from both a special educator and a general educator during the practicum.

Practicum/Practicum Equivalent: A field-based experience within an approved program in the role and at the level of the license sought, during which a candidate's performance is supervised jointly by the sponsoring organization and the supervising practitioner and evaluated in a Performance Assessment for Initial License. See 603 CMR 7.04 (4) for practicum hours. The duration of any equivalent to a practicum shall be no fewer hours than provided for the practicum in 603 CMR 7.04 (4). An equivalent to a practicum may include an apprenticeship, the initial five-month period of service as teacher or administrator of record under a Preliminary license, or others approved by the Department.

Pre-practicum: Early field-based experiences with diverse student learners, integrated into courses or seminars that address either the Professional Standards for Teachers as set forth in 603 CMR 7.08 or the Professional Standards for Administrative Leadership as set forth in 603 CMR 7.10. For candidates serving an apprenticeship or employed as educator of record, these experiences may occur simultaneously with the practicum or practicum equivalent.

Program Supervisor: The supervisor from the sponsoring organization, under whose immediate supervision the candidate for licensure practices during a practicum.

Sponsoring Organization: Institution of higher education or alternative preparation organization that provides, or seeks to provide, approved preparation programs.

Supervising Practitioner: The educator who has at least three full years of experience under an appropriate Initial or Professional license and has received an evaluation rating of proficient or higher, under whose immediate supervision the candidate for licensure practices during a practicum. For the educator of record, a comparably qualified educator will function as the supervising practitioner during the practicum equivalent.

Requirements for Field-Based Experience for Initial License (as specified in 603 CMR 7.04)

“Field-based experiences are an integral component of any program for the preparation of educators. 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.

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 is responsible for the larger portion of the practicum or practicum equivalent and together with the program supervisor will 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 practicum/practicum equivalents shall be completed within a Massachusetts public school, approved private special education school, Massachusetts Department of Early Education Care approved preschool, educational collaborative, or a school that requires Massachusetts educator licensure.”

Practicum or Practicum Equivalent Requirements for Reading Specialist License: 150 total hours. All individuals in educator preparation programs shall assume full responsibility of the classroom for a minimum of 100 hours.

As described in the Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) Handbook (MA ESE, June 2016), there are several stakeholders involved in effective implementation of field-based experiences and the assessment of teacher candidates’ readiness to teach in their licensure area. The roles of the involved parties are essential to our students’ preparedness for teaching when they complete the program. The following summarizes the pertinent roles and responsibilities of the practicum team, including the Program Supervisor, Supervising Practitioner, and Candidate, adapted from the 2016 CAP guidelines set forth by the Department of Education.

Program Supervisor (MGH IHP supervisor)

• In collaboration with the Supervising Practitioner, provide Candidate with consistent guidance, support and high-quality feedback during field based experiences that improves their practice.
• Coordinate the evaluation process in collaboration with the Supervising Practitioner and Candidate (e.g., manage timelines, facilitate meetings, calibrate with the Supervising Practitioner; collect forms, etc.).
• With Supervising Practitioner, assess and document evidence of candidate readiness for the role.
• Conduct one formal observation of the Candidate, providing focused written feedback about their performance.
• Support the Supervising Practitioner in conducting observations of the Candidate, review information from observations.
• Determine, in collaboration with the Supervising Practitioner, whether the candidate is ready to teach. Establish improvement plan in cases where this is necessary.
• Facilitate completion of the CAP form for Specialist Teacher Candidates with signatures for purposes of retaining at the Sponsoring Organization.

Supervising Practitioner (on-site supervisor)

• Along with Program Supervisor, design practicum experiences that encompass the licensure role.
• Schedule regular meetings/discussions with the Candidate throughout the Practicum to provide mentorship, guidance, and feedback. Problem-solve issues that may arise.
• In addition to providing periodic informal observations and feedback, conduct at least three formal observations of the Candidate that include written feedback about the Candidate’s growth in PSTs and Reading Specialist Indicators. Actively collect evidence during observations, synthesize and analyze the evidence to provide focused feedback to the candidate about their performance and facilitate growth.
• Participate in 3 scheduled Three-Way Meetings with Candidate and Program Supervisor.
• Share ongoing communication with Program Supervisor and alert Program Supervisor to any concerns regarding Candidate’s readiness to teach in the licensure role as soon as concerns arise. Assist Program Supervisor in the development of an improvement plan if necessary.
• Complete formative and summative assessments of the Candidate as outlined in this handbook and facilitated by the Program Supervisor.
• Determine, following review of Candidate’s portfolio and in collaboration with the Program Supervisor, whether the candidate is ready to teach.
• Provide feedback to the Sponsoring Organization about the Practicum structure (areas of strength, aspects that need to improve).

Candidate (MGH IHP CAS student)

• Complete the required 25 hours of pre-practicum observation prior to beginning the Practicum
• Establish Practicum Goals with the first 2 weeks of the practicum that represent thoughtful reflection about current teaching practice, knowledge acquired in coursework, and the DESE PSTs and Reading Specialist Indicators.
• Actively participate in all aspects of the assessment system, including attending Three-Way Meetings, being available for observations, exercising thoughtful reflection, collecting candidate artifacts, submitting requested paperwork in a timely manner, and compiling a summative portfolio.
• Demonstrate competency at all the readiness threshold levels.
• Maintain professionalism in all interactions while on site and with supervisors as well as through email and phone correspondence. Seek out support when questions or concerns arise.
• Compile a well-organized, professional portfolio that contains all required documents and is checked for accuracy, completeness, and professional presentation prior to submission.
• (Optional, recommended) Keep a weekly journal to write reflections about practicum experience to enrich discussions with Supervising Practitioner onsite, with peers during practicum seminar meetings, and for own growth as a reflective practitioner.
• Provide feedback to the Sponsoring Organization about one’s experience in the program.

Eligibility for Licensure

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) accredits the MGH Institute’s Literacy & Language CAS program. When students complete all courses included in the CAS curriculum, they will have met the academic and clinical requirements to apply for Reading Specialist licensure in Massachusetts. For the Reading Specialist teaching license, applicants must pass the Reading Subject Matter Test of the Massachusetts Licensure (MTEL) and hold an Initial License in another area. Those who do not already hold an Initial Teaching License can pursue application for Reading Specialist licensure following one year of employment as a teacher in Massachusetts.

The following lists the subject matter requirements for Reading Specialist licensure. For additional information related to licensure, ESE can be reached at www.doe.mass.edu or (781) 338-6600. Questions may also be addressed to Patricia Kelley-Nazzaro, Literacy & Language CAS Program Director (617-726-8231)

603 CMR 7.00 Regulations for Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval

(a) Initial License:

1. Prerequisite: At least an Initial teaching license and at least one year of experience under that license.
2. Completion of an approved educator preparation program for the Initial license as set forth in 603 CMR 7.03 (2) (a).
3. The following topics will be addressed on the test of subject matter knowledge:
   a. Knowledge of the significant theories, practices, and programs for developing reading skills and reading comprehension.
   b. Phonemic awareness and phonics: principles, knowledge, and instructional practices.
   c. History and nature of English vocabulary and of English-language dialects; development of vocabulary knowledge. d. Theories, research, and practices for reading instruction in the academic disciplines.
   e. Selection and use of appropriate programs, materials, and technology for reading instruction.
   f. Knowledge of, and selection criteria for, literature and informational books for children and adolescents.
   g. Screening and diagnostic instruments, their administration and use for determining student strengths and weaknesses.
   h. Knowledge and use of a variety of informal and formal reading assessments.
   i. Second language acquisition and its relationship to literacy learning.
   j. Child and adolescent development and the timing of formal reading instruction.
   k. Cognitive development in adolescence and its relationship to reading instruction.
   l. Approaches and practices for writing instruction, including assessment of writing skills and their relationship to reading.
   m. Methods to support classroom teachers and tutors in the improvement of reading instruction, including consultation techniques and professional development.

(b) Professional License.

1. For candidates who do not hold any Professional teacher license, complete requirements set forth in 603 CMR 7.04 (2) (c).

For candidates who hold at least one Professional teacher license, complete three years of employment under the Initial license in the field of the Professional license sought.