The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure include subject tests in 33 or more different subject areas. These areas include early childhood, elementary, special needs, reading, and English as a second language. This update contains general information that has come from Department of Education materials and from students who have taken the tests.
New subject area guides. National Evaluation Systems (NES), the company that developed the certification exam, has published information booklets for the subject tests. Information Booklet Vol. II addresses the early childhood, elementary, special needs and middle school area tests. This and other information booklets for subject tests now cost $8.00 each. Order forms are available from the Career Planning Office at Wheelock or from NES (413-256-2893).
The Information Booklet Vol. I for the Communication and Literacy Skills Test is free of charge until April 1, 2000. After that date the booklet will also cost $8.00. Volume I has a limited amount of information about the subject tests. Volume II has more information, including a brief practice test for each of the four subject areas addressed in Volume II. The practice tests are helpful. Open-ended responses might be brought to test preparation support workshops for discussion.
Types of Questions. Most of the subject tests share a common format. There are about 80 multiple choice questions and two opened ended questions. Exact numbers and point values of questions are available in subject test information booklets. The content of multiple choice questions differs widely among tests. This information is also included in the appropriate test information booklet, along with the objectives for each of the subject tests.
Students who have taken these tests advise that test takers monitor their time and leave a full hour for each of the open-ended questions. Candidates might be asked to design a lesson according to specific criteria such as integrating various subject areas, attending to the use of technology or planning for a certain age group or unifying theme. An entire unit outline might be assigned for another open-ended question. On some tests, two unit designs might be requested and one or both could require the full description of a lesson related to the unit(s). This exercise requires thoughtful preparation.
Subject test-taking strategies. Test takers are advised to prepare a template for writing a lesson plan and a template for outlining a unit. Have these templates in mind when beginning the subject test. Sketch the template outline on scratch paper in the test materials as the test begins, and return to the outline(s) when answering the open-ended questions. These and other strategies can be helpful in doing the best job possible and still finishing the subject test with the allotted time.
Test takers must read the open-ended questions very carefully and make certain that they are fully answering the question that is asked. Include enough information, but plan and outline responses carefully in order to offer a complete and well written response to each question and be able to finish the test.
Experience suggests that subject test scores tend to be higher when students take the tests on a separate day or following the Communication and Literacy Skills Reading Subtest, but not following the morning writing test.
Most states require passing scores on a licensure exam, either the ETS Praxis or a state-designed test like the MTEL. In other states where these tests have been given for a longer period of time, more support materials are available that can be helpful for those preparing for the MTEL. Test formats differ, but subject content is often similar.
ETS Praxis study materials can be helpful for all of the MTEL subtests. GRE vocabulary lists and study materials are also appropriate tools. Materials designed to support preparation for the certification exams in California, New York, Texas and Colorado might be helpful for MTEL preparation because NES, the Massachusetts test vendor has also designed the tests in those states. Several study guides for the New York exams have subject matter review that might be helpful for those preparing for the elementary subtest in Massachusetts.
How to Prepare for the LAST/ATS-W: Liberal Arts and Sciences Test Assessment of Teaching Skills--Written by Dr. Robert D. Postman is published by Barron’s Educational Series (1998), and it includes four full-length practice tests. Subject review chapters cover reading, writing, mathematics, history, social sciences, science, visual and performing arts, and pedagogy (ISBN – 0-7641-0446-2).
The Best Test Preparation for the NYSTCE (1998) is prepared by the staff of the Research and Education Association, Dr. Max Fogiel, Director (ISBN – 0-87891-866-3). This volume also has arts and sciences review chapters on science and mathematics, history and social sciences, arts and humanities, as well as grammar review and writing skills, including essay writing strategies.
If you utilize resources from other states, remember to follow the Massachusetts guidelines in preparing for the MTEL’s specific test segments such as the written essays on the Writing Subtest. National specialty organization standards and themes of emphasis can be helpful resources. See the web sites for the specialty organizations: NAEYC, NCTM, NCSS, NCTS, NCTE (as www.nctm.org). Elementary text books from your classroom can also be excellent resources for subject content.
The Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks are an important resource. Take note of the lists in the Appendices for various frameworks. For example, the History and Social Studies Framework contains a list of people, events, and themes of importance, as well as publications used in writing the document. The test questions are related to the Frameworks content, and the Frameworks include a list of sources from which the material is drawn. Make connections, make a study plan, follow-through.
If COF students and alumni have any questions about MTEL preparation support, they are encouraged to contact their education certification coordinators.