Frequently asked questions

Please see the Eligibility section of our website, then call our office with any additional questions regarding eligibility.

Teachers may enroll in PRPIL as early as their third year of teaching in the role of the Preliminary license. However, providing all program requirements are met, the endorsement for the Initial license cannot be submitted to the DESE Office of Educator Licensure until completion of the third year of teaching.

Once accepted, it takes an average of 4-6 months to complete the program requirements (portfolio and classroom observations). Most teachers complete the program within a single school year.

Once your portfolio is submitted to the Class Measures office for final review, it takes 3-6 weeks for the portfolio to be reviewed and the endorsement sent to the DESE Office of Educator Licensure. If additional evidence is requested this timeline may be extended.

The amount of time needed for the DESE Office of Educator Licensure to process the endorsement and grant the license varies depending on their volume of work. Class Measures recommends planning at least one month for this part of the process.

The PRPIL team is committed to ensuring that all safety and health guidelines are followed for schools and districts of teachers enrolled in the program.  PRPIL program requirements will support maintaining the health and safety of the PRPIL staff, program participants and their school communities.  This requirements include virtual observations (where in person classes are not available), virtual meetings with mentors and teachers and electronic submission of final portfolio

Assuming you are eligible, apply to PRPIL as quickly as possible. Once you have been accepted, inform your school and district of your acceptance. Please contact our office for further information.

Yes. We are now able to accept time spent on an emergency license as counting towards your three years. but you must earn your Provisional license to enroll in PRPIL. You cannot advance an Emergency license to an Initial license.

No.

Education courses offered through a college or university are generally considered pedagogy. For courses offered through other departments or for PDPs, the information covered must relate to the "how" of teaching (pedagogy) rather than "what" is being taught (content). Examples of pedagogical courses include: Skillful Teaching, Behavior Management, Motivating the Learner, and Differentiated Instruction. Please call our office with questions about specific courses.

Yes. PRPIL is an alternative route to Initial licensure for teachers who have not completed a teaching practicum.

Teachers can officially advance only one licensed subject area and grade level through PRPIL. The license advanced must be the subject and grade level currently being taught. However, in many cases additional subject areas and/or grade levels can be advanced after completion of PRPIL. Teachers with multiple licenses do not need to complete the PRPIL program more than once. Please contact our office for more information.

Applicants are responsible for finding their own mentor. The mentor selected must hold an Initial or Professional license in Massachusetts. In addition, the chosen mentor must be a teacher of high quality standing who has received the support of the applicant's principal. The mentor must agree to carry out all tasks as summarized in the Mentor Responsibilities.

In general, teachers find it most convenient to choose a mentor from within the same school or district. However, it is acceptable to choose a mentor from another school or district. Remember to consider individuals who are retired as well as individuals who hold the needed license but are not currently using the license.

The relationship between the mentor and the teacher is crucial to the overall professional growth and success of the teacher in the PRPIL program. The mentor is a thought partner and critical feedback peer who will push and support the teacher in their instructional practices.

At a minimum, your mentor should expect to provide support through conducting TWO unannounced classroom observations (45 -60m class periods), facilitating TWO post conference feedback sessions, documenting observation notes and feedback on designated forms for each observation, attending THREE 3 way meetings with instructional consultants and the teacher.

The role of the mentor is to provide ongoing feedback and support with the teaching practices of the teacher enrolled in the program. The support given by the mentor is based on the needs of the teacher and the area(s) of focus identified from conversations and observations. The mentor also supports the teacher with identifying exemplar pieces of evidence to demonstrate their understanding of DESE standards. The time commitment in this mentoring relationship varies based on connection and mutual respect between the teacher and the mentor.

An Instructional Consultant will be assigned to you by Class Measures once you have been accepted into PRPIL.

Useful information about compiling your portfolio can be found in the Program Overview section of the Essential Information page of this website.  Your Instructional Consultant is also an excellent source of information about the portfolio. 

Your Instructional Consultant will work with you to schedule the three announced classroom observations. Your mentor's observations will be unannounced

Your ePortfolio will continue to be available to you via the ePortfolio platform. 

All PRPIL participants must apply for the Initial license. Do not be concerned if you receive a notice that in cannot yet be granted. The Initial license will be granted once your endorsement has been received from Class Measures and processed by the Office of Educator Licensure.

Please apply for the Initial license online using the ELAR system.

The Office of Educator Licensure no longer mails paper licenses. Once you know your endorsement has been sent, please check the status of your license regularly through your ELAR account.

This varies depending on the time of year and the number of licenses the Office of Educator Licensure must process. Most licenses are processed within 3-4 weeks. If your Preliminary license is expiring sooner than this, your principal or superintendent can request an expedited review of your file.

This depends on the state in question. Please contact their Department of Education for details regarding possible reciprocity. Additional information can also be found here.

We would be happy to arrange an information session, in-person or virtual, for a group of five or more teachers. Please have your principal contact our office to arrange a mutually convenient time.

The SEI Endorsement requirement that went into effect on July 1, 2014 currently affects core subject matter teachers only. They will need to complete the SEI Endorsement in order to be eligible to enroll in PRPIL. Please call our office for further details.

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