Programs for Initial Licensure
The M.Ed. prepares students to obtain the appropriate master’s degree and an additional Initial Licensure in the following specialist areas:
- Educational Leadership
- Supervisor/Director* (dependent on prerequisite license)
- Principal* (PreK-8, 5-12) (dependent on prerequisite experience)
- Special Education Administrator* (dependent on prerequisite license)
- Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent* (dependent on prerequisite license)
- Math Specialist (see content math for licensure area)
- Reading Specialist (all levels)
Upon completion of the course of study, candidates must also pass a content area test for Massachusetts licensure. To obtain the Reading Specialist License, candidates must have taught a minimum of one year under the initial teaching license.
*Contact the graduate education office for specific details pertaining to each role.
Programs for Professional Licensure
The M.Ed. prepares students to obtain the appropriate master’s degree and Professional License in the following areas:
- Early Childhood (PreK-2)
- Elementary (1-6)
- Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8, 5-12)
- Content Area
- Arts (PreK-6, 5-12)
- Biology (8-12)
- Chemistry (8-12)
- English (5-12)
- History (1-6, 5-12)
- Mathematics (5-8, 8-12)
- Modern Foreign Languages: French (PreK-6, 5-12), Spanish (PreK-6, 5-12)
- Physics (8-12)
The appropriate master’s degree requires that 12 credits of the degree coursework be in the content area appropriate to the student’s teaching field. Students in this program have completed a baccalaureate degree in a liberal arts field or its equivalent in an appropriate content field. The candidates already possess the Initial License or its equivalent and are pursuing the M.Ed. degree and/or an additional license.
The College reserves the right to alter program requirements as necessary to remain in compliance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education licensure standards.
Prepracticum for Initial Licensure in Educational Leadership
Prior to the practicum, all graduate students seeking initial licensure in educational leadership are required to complete a minimum of 75 documented clock hours of monitored, field-based experience observing different aspects of interactions within the role sought, and satisfactory completion of the appropriate Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) requirements.
These field experiences in diverse settings will prepare candidates by acquainting them with the duties, situational challenges and requisite skills of the school or program leader at the appropriate role and school level. As future school leaders, students will be exposed to the myriad of demands attendant to providing quality instructional programs for typical and atypical students of different gender, racial, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Practicum in Educational Leadership
The practicum for the roles within Educational Leadership consists of 500 hours. The Gordon program is designed so that during it the candidate will study, interact, and collaborate with colleagues who are seeking licensure for different leadership roles within the school district. Whatever the role sought, the candidate will need to interact with other colleagues in their respective leader roles within the school district. By studying together candidates begin to understand early in their careers the perspectives of these different roles and learn how to reflective listen, work to consensus, and appreciate issues each one faces. Knowing how to collegially work together with other educational leaders in this educational setting gives candidates the opportunity to think creatively and respectfully in a supportive setting before entering the role in a licensed position.
Two hundred hours of the practicum is designed to coincide with the course work. The initial courses will get you started with prepracticum field experiences, and then each will immediately follow with practicum work so the candidate implements what is learned while moving through the program. This opportunity allows for clarification and more study by the candidate in areas found to be particularly challenging. EDU 781-784 identifies the final stage of the practicum in the desired role even though each candidate has been in practicum work in the respective role through earlier courses and field experiences. This 6-credit course includes specific mentoring around observation and evaluation. It also deals with daily issues candidates face during the remaining 300 hours of practicum over the period of a school year.
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