The application packet that you send to the Office of Academic Affairs and Educator Licensing to get your license-seeking efforts under way is worth spending some time on. The packet serves several purposes. First, it will prove that you meet the basic requirements of the license (e.g. bachelor's or master's degree); second, DOE will check your verified instructional hours and determine which of the Routes to Licensure you qualify for. SABES is recommending that you also take the time to draft a full Curriculum Vita rather than a simple resume (see our reasons below). If you need the Application Forms and can download them, click here. If you need the forms mailed, click here.

Let's look at each element of a completed Application Packet in detail.

1. Application for the Adult Basic Education Teacher's License.

This two-page document is mostly self-explanatory, but several elements deserve attention. Regarding Item 8, if you have not applied for Massachusetts teacher's license at any time in the past, your fee for applying for the ABE license will be $100. If you have applied in the past, your fee is only $25. Regarding Item 9, if you currently hold a Massachusetts K-12 teacher's license, you might be assessed as meeting several teaching standards and/or qualify for Routes to Licensure with fewer requirements. Regarding Item 13, verifying your past ABE teaching experience is very important--again, because this experience can be assessed as meeting standards and qualifying you for licensure routes with fewer requirements.

You can pay your fee by credit card, but you must attach an authorization form.

2. Official College Transcripts. Be certain to have your school(s) mail you official transcripts of all coursework you have taken. Do not open the sealed envelopes that contain the transcripts; inlcude These transcripts will also be used to verify that you have obtained a bachelor's or master's degree, a basic requirement for the license.

3. Adult Basic Education Teaching Experience Verification Form(s). If you have taught ABE, it is important for you to figure out how many years you have done so. The four Routes to the ABE license are based in part on how many years you have taught ABE. Take the time to do the Years of Teaching Experience Worksheet to help you calculate which Route you might qualify for. In all cases where you can secure verification, include a completed verification form. In cases where you had no direct supervisor--for example, in a workplace education program or tutoring one-on-one in a local library--try to secure a letter from someone in authority, such as a member of a personnel office. Pay stubs might be worth a try. In cases where no "official" verification is possible--for example, teaching ESOL abroad--include a detailed statement for DOE to consider.

4. Resume or Curriculum Vita. SABES and the teachers we are working with believe that the Curriculum Vita (CV) format is better suited for licensure purposes than the business-oriented resume. Click HERE to get more detailed information and help on CVs. Detailed descriptions of your relevant ABE teaching experience and even college courses will help reviewers of your portfolio determine how you have met certain standards; additionally, the very process of drafting a full CV helps you to remember more details about any experience or education you might have.

You might also take the time to do the SABES licensure Self-Assessment. This tool has been designed to help you discover what knowledge and skills you might already have, as well as to plan how you can acquire knowledge and skills you still might need. Using the Self-Assessment will help you discover how you might already have met certain standards through your teaching and experience, and perhaps through your professional activities as well. Using the Self-Assessment will also help you to match your experience with specific Performance Indicators (PIs) for each standard (NOTE: The approved PIs have not yet been determined by DOE.)

5. Applicant's Checklist. Be sure to print out this checklist from DOE to make certain that your application package is complete. There are a couple of documents that we didn't cover here--e.g. proof of name change--that might apply to you.

A note on course descriptions and 30+/PDP courses.

If your Application Packet is complete and accurate, you will be notifed of that fact; in addition, you will be told which route to licensure you qualify for. From that point, you will begin collecting evidence in a portfolio, which you will submit for assessment by a Review Panel.

In all cases in which you believe that a particular college course might indicate that you have met certain standards, take the time to secure a course description or syllabus for that course to be included with your portfolio. For example, a course on human development might partially cover Standard A1--[The effective teacher] Incorporates theories of and research in adult development in designing effective instruction appropriate to the learning environment.]--but the reviewers of your portfolio will need a description of the course content, such as a photocopy of the course description from the college's catalog, to make such a judgment. Any 30+/PDP training you've taken--e.g., a licensure-compatible course through SABES or a DOE summer institute offering--also count as college courses. Relevant courses and 30+/PDP trainings should be highlighted in your CV. Similarly, time spent tracking down course descriptions, syllabi, or other similar documentation could pay off by reducing the amount of work you might need to put into a portfolio.