No-Cost SEI Endorsement Courses
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is planning to provide a limited number of no-cost courses during the 2016-2017 school year to accommodate approximately 3,000 educators who, during the 2015-2016 school year, were eligible to enroll in a no-cost SEI Endorsement course and:
· Enrolled in a course that was subsequently canceled by the department.
· Added themselves to a wait-list but did not take a course because no seats became available, or
· Applied for and were granted a hardship extension by the department, or
· Received an ELL student for the first time during the 2015-2016 school year but did not have adequate time to enroll in a course.
DESE Notification to Eligible Educators Based on EPIMS and SIMS DATA
The DESE is currently communicating with educators who, based on EPIMS and SIMS data, are eligible for a no-cost course because they registered for a course that was canceled or wait-listed and didn’t get a seat. These eligible educators are being notified that they will receive a link to the registration system on July 15.
If you receive a notification and believe the information is incorrect because you did not work as a core academic teacher of an ELL student, please follow the instructions contained in the notification.
· Registration for fall and spring 2016-2017 opens on Monday, July 18, at 9 a.m.
· Fall registration closes on Friday, Sept. 9, at 5 p.m.
· Spring registration will remain open until mid-January.
What If You Were NOT Included in the EPIMS and SIMS Data?
Because EPIMS and SIMS data are not updated frequently, there are educators who registered for a course that was canceled or wait-listed and didn’t get a seat. The DESE is notifying these educators that they are eligible for a no-cost course, but the DESE does not have the data indicating they are eligible.
If you receive notification that you are eligible for a no-cost course but the DESE does not have the supporting data, you need to contact your school and district administration to request that it update the DESE roster in Dropbox so you will receive an invitation to register for a no-cost course.
If you did not register for a course but received an English language learner after September 2015, contact your school and district administration to request that it update the DESE roster in Dropbox so you will receive an invitation to register for 2016-2017.
The deadline for districts to update the DESE roster is June 24 at 4 p.m.
Who Is Not Eligible for a No-Cost Course?
You will not be granted an opportunity to participate in a 2016-2017 no-cost course if you:
· Previously registered for a no-cost course and either did not attend the course or did not complete the course successfully with a score of 70% or higher.
· Were previously assigned an ELL student during the first year(s) of the training window for your district (for Cohort 2 districts, this includes the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years; for Cohort 3 districts, this includes the 2014-2015 school year only) and you did not register or wait-list for a no-cost course during the training window.
· Are not a core academic teacher or administrator who supervises or evaluates core academic teachers of ELL students.
Registration Instructions
The department will be e-mailing those in the categories above with registration instructions for 2016-2017 school year courses, including those who received an ELL student after the close of spring 2016 registration. Read thoroughly and follow the instructions explicitly. You will need your MEPID, a valid personal e-mail address and use your full legal name to register for a course.
If your e-mail address will change prior to July, 2016, you should immediately update your ELAR profile with a valid permanent e-mail address. The department will use the e-mail address that is listed in your ELAR as of July 11, 2016, to contact you. Update your e-mail address in ELAR prior to this date.
If you anticipate that your last name will change, enter the last name that will be accurate as of the final course date.
Enter your first name exactly as it appears on your legal identification; do not enter a nickname. As long as you have entered your MEPID and legal first name correctly during registration, you will receive the SEI Endorsement upon successful completion of an SEI Endorsement course, regardless of whether the last name you entered upon registration matches the name listed for you in ELAR or EPIMs at the time that the course ends.
Will There Be Waitlists?
There will be no waitlists for 2016-2017. If a course is full, you will need to find another course.
Will There Be Summer Courses?
Summer courses will not be offered because the courses require educators to have access to a classroom.
Where Will the Courses Be Offered?
The DESE is making sure that it places enough courses to accommodate everyone within a reasonable distance. The department is starting courses a little later in the day in case participants have to drive a little farther to get to class.
Will There Be Bridge Courses?
There will be no bridge courses next year. The DESE is only offering the full teacher course or the administrator course. In fact, there will be no bridge courses anywhere, including the Collaboratives, going forward.
Licensure Restrictions
No restrictions will be placed the core academic license of anyone wait-listed for a spring 2016 course who could not take the course because seats were not made available or the course was canceled by the department.
No restrictions will be placed on a Cohort 1 educator who received an ELL for the first time during the 2015-2016 school year.
If you teach in a Cohort 1 district and are assigned an ELL in September 2016, you will have one year from the date of the assignment to earn the endorsement at your own expense.
According to the DESE, no restrictions will be placed on any educator license after Sept. 1, 2016.
Other Routes to the Endorsement
For more information visit www.massteacher.org/ell
Massachusetts Teachers Association|617.878.8362|ggilardi@massteacher.org|2 Heritage Drive, Quincy, MA 02171
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