Page 12: Appendix B

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ABE TEACHER'S LICENSE

The new license is the result of three decades of nearly continuous effort by practitioners, staff developers, state department staff, and other stakeholders. Several task forces, committees, and other bodies worked hard on developing a process model; their efforts provided the foundation upon which a final effort was mounted. This final push came from the need for the Department of Education to provide a process that would allow ABE teachers with K-12 licenses to re-certify in the ABE field, thus applying their time and effort to learning that what their adult learners need for them to know and be able to do.

The new licensure process, approved by the Board of Education at their April 2001 meeting, was the responsibility of a statewide ABE Certification Advisory Committee, which reviewed issues, proposals, and products already articulated or developed in the field and more recently through work and focus groups. Discussions began with a careful review of prior work, which in sum reflected the ideas and responses of hundreds of Massachusetts practitioners ranging back for many years. Several key concerns stood out historically to guide the work undertaken by the Advisory Committee and the staff and work groups that served it. These concerns were the following.

The new ABE license must be meaningful. It must be able to stand beside other state and professional licenses with equal prestige and impact. It must not take the form of a lesser "endorsement" or be designed as an "add-on" to the state's K-12 system (as is the case in many other states). To be meaningful, the license must also require that to-be-certified teachers reach a high level of proficiency in knowledge, skills, and actual classroom practice, so that adult learners will genuinely benefit.

The licensure process must be fair. Many ABE teachers can boast of years of experience in ABE classrooms; many have devoted time and effort to serious staff development; many have earned K-12 licenses. A fair process would recognize the knowledge and skills that these individuals have already acquired. Over the years, a portfolio-based assessment approach has received the widest support.

The process must be accessible. Most ABE teachers in Massachusetts are part-time; many are underpaid for their work; many must stitch together several jobs to make ends meet. Therefore, the new process must allow teachers to use low-cost, variously scheduled, and variously designed options for teachers to acquire the knowledge and skills they will need to meet standards.

The process must be inclusive. The ABE field prides itself on valuing the knowledge and skills that adult learners have gained from life experience and by emphasizing that learning is a lifelong activity. To be consistent with these and other principles, an ABE licensure process must allow talented teachers who are non-traditionally educated and individuals for whom English is not their first language to undertake licensure. Alternatives to the usual baseline requirements and/or additional forms of support must make their ways into the process.

These key concerns have shaped the licensure process in several specific ways. First of all, standards were developed that are distinct to ABE teaching. Second, a flexible approach to indicating and acquiring required levels of proficiency was adopted, specifically portfolio based. Third, routes to licensure were developed that credit the knowledge and skills of experienced teachers. Fourth, a high degree of support has been built into the system in various forms—e.g., the development of no-cost training opportunities ("pilot courses"), and allowing non-degree-bearing teachers the option to enter accelerated Master's programs that do not require a bachelor's degree for enrollment. In addition, the Massachusetts Department of Education will continue efforts to broker the development of ABE-specific higher education courses as well as full teacher preparation programs.

Several practical considerations have also had an impact on the process. For one, many teachers work under Local Education Agencies, or LEAs, that require licensure. An ABE license that is not recognizably consistent with current K-12 licenses might be rejected by some LEAs as substandard. Realities like this one have prompted system planners to design an ABE license that remains true to the ABE field and the concerns of its members while aligning wherever possible with the state's K-12 system.

A second practical concern of high impact has been how to accommodate the shifting roles that so many ABE teachers take on. Fluctuations in funding and learners' needs, among other factors, often either force (or allow) teachers to shift from one teaching assignment to another (e.g., from math to ESOL) or from one staff role to another (e.g., teaching to counseling, or program management). A great many teachers juggle various roles and assignments at the same time. These realities have prompted system planners to design a general ABE license rather than several that reflect specializations (e.g., math, ESOL, or ASE/GED). The challenge has been to require meaningful levels of proficiency across all teaching areas without marking unreasonable demands.