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Welcome Initial Teacher Licensure Candidates!
To work in a public school in Massachusetts, you first need to earn an Initial license in your field. On this page, you will find forms and resources provided by the Educator Preparation (EdPrep) office to support your licensure endorsement process.
Your Program Coordinator is your primary source for advice and instructions on how to complete the requirements for your license. The EdPrep office can provide assistance with issues such as filling out forms, registering and using TK20, and preparing documentation for the final stages of the licensure endorsement process. Contact us via edprep-help@umass.edu if you need assistance.
Forms
The following forms may be required for the completion of your program, confirm with your program coordinator which forms are necessary, and when they are required.
- Fingerprint and CORI: All candidates entering schools are required to complete a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and be fingerprinted.
- L1 – Licensure Program Admission and Enrollment Form: Officially informs the EdPrep Office of a candidate’s enrollment in their licensure program.
- L2-PPC – Pre Practicum Placement Contract: Contract for pre-practicum field placement between candidate, school site, and program coordinator. Important: This is a formal agreement between UMass Amherst and the school partner hosting this field-based experience. Licensure candidates cannot begin their field placement until this form is signed by all designated parties.
- L2 – Practicum/Internship Placement Contract: Contract for practicum field placement between candidate, school site, and program coordinator. Important: This is a formal agreement between UMass Amherst and the school partner hosting this field-based experience. Licensure candidates cannot begin their field placement until this form is signed by all designated parties.
- L3 – Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) Form: Documentation of required three-way meetings between candidate, supervising practitioner and program supervisor for review of competencies and completion of the practicum.
- L3 Split Practicum Transition Form: For Music Education & Early Childhood Education Candidates Only. Documentation of a candidate’s transition from their first practicum placement to second practicum placement.
- L4 – Completion of Licensure Requirements: Confirmation that the candidate has completed all necessary requirements to be endorsed for licensure.
- Attendance Logs
Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP)
The Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) is the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education’s (DESE) protocol for formally observing and assessing teacher candidates in the practicum experience. To learn about CAP and the respective roles and responsibilities of program supervisors, supervising practitioners, and teacher candidates, please see the DESE & UMass Amherst CAP handbook. The Educator Preparation Supplement in the CAP handbook provides a unit wide standard in accordance with DESE regulations. Individual programs can add additional requirements and best practices specific to each license program.
UMass Amherst Ed Prep provides synchronous and asynchronous CAP training for practicum supervisors at the start of the Fall and Spring semesters. Program supervisors and supervising practitioners will be contacted with CAP training details in advance of their practicum supervision.
- Observations: The CAP protocol requires a minimum of four observed lessons.
- Assessments: The CAP protocol requires a formative and summative assessment.
- Artifacts: The CAP protocol requires teacher candidates to produce a variety of artifacts. Here, licensure candidates will find guiding documents to complete these CAP artifacts.
- 7 Essential Elements of CAP 2025-26 (Proficiency Descriptors): These elements, rooted in Professional Standards for Teachers, provide the foundation for the CAP protocol.
- Professionals Standards for Teachers (PSTs): The PSTs provide the framework for the essential elements of the CAP.
- L3 – Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) Form: Documentation of required meetings between candidate, supervising practitioner, and program supervisor for review of competencies. To be filled out during the practicum experience and submitted when evaluation is complete.
- UMass ELPAC Collaborating with Students’ Families Tool Kit: Over the course of the 2024-25 academic year, the UMass Amherst Educator Licensure Advisory Council (ELPAC), made up of UMass Faculty and Staff and School District Partners, developed a Tool Kit for Supervising Practitioners to support Teacher Candidates in effectively collaborating with students’ families during their practicum experiences. Please see the Tool Kit Table of Contents, which provides links to a range of resources available for strategies in collaborating with students’ families.
- Updated 2025 DESE CAP Resources: directly from the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE)
TK20
UMass Amherst uses TK20 as an electronic portfolio (online assessment tool) to fully document licensure candidate assessments, field experiences, and student teaching experiences. Licensure candidates in most programs will be required to purchase a TK20 license at the beginning of their academic journey.
Timeline
Most initial licensure programs follow a similar timeline. Review this timeline with your program coordinator to confirm any requirements that may apply to your specific license.