Important Notice: New Mathematics Test as Part of General Curriculum MTEL for Students in Elementary Education, Moderate Disabilities and Severe Disabilities

Students who have not passed the existing General Curriculum MTEL as of January 2009 will be required to pass the new General Curriculum MTEL with a separate 45-item math subtest.

In recognition of the need for increased and enhanced math proficiency for teachers and students, the State announced that the Massachusetts Test for Education Licensure (MTEL) General Curriculum test will be updated to include a separately scored mathematics subtest. The updated test will be administered for the first time on March 7, 2009.

Description of the New General Curriculum Test

• The new MTEL General Curriculum test will include two subtests. The subtests together will comprise 100 multiple-choice test items (questions) and two open-response items.
• Subtest I will include 55 multiple-choice test items and one open-response test item in the content areas of Language, Arts, History and Social Science, and Science and Technology/Engineering.
  
• Subtest II will include 45 multiple-choice test items in the content area of Mathematics including Numbers & Operations (41%); Functions & Algebra (22%); Geometry & Measurement (18%); Statistics & Probability (9%); and one open-response item that covers integration of knowledge and understanding (10%).
• The two subtests may be taken and passed together at one test administration or at two separate test administrations (similar to how Communication & Literacy can be done).

New test objectives and practice test

The test objectives and practice test are now available on the MTEL website and reflect the two subtest structure of the redeveloped General Curriculum test that will replace the current test next year. Sample responses for the open-response items will be available in late fall 2008 and the practice test score calculation feature will be available in spring 2009.

How this affects students

For those who prefer to take the current version of the General Curriculum test, the last administration will be November 22, 2008. If students take and pass the current General Curriculum MTEL by November 22, 2008, or have already taken and passed it, and the pass information is documented on their Department of Education Educator Licensure and Recruitment (ELAR) account, students will not need to take the test again. Students are advised to check their ELAR accounts at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Lesley has developed an online Math GC diagnostic and Math GC workshop for those who want math preparation. Please click on the link below to learn more about these supports.

Support from Lesley University