If you are interested in applying to become an NSF Teaching Fellow:

(1)   Download the attachment document below - How to Become a Teacher in Massachusetts - read through it carefully and jot down any questions that you have about its contents.

(2)   Please complete our online advisement form referred to as the "NSF TEACH! SouthCoast STEM Candidate Profile & MTEL Status" survey.  We use this form as a first step in the formal advisement process here at the TEACH! program.  How you reply on this form tells a lot about your educational background and your professional goals.  We can more effectively guide you through the process of determining which pathway is the best one for you to take as you work toward becoming a licensed teacher in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Please send either Tyra Lopes Mendes (tlopes@umassd.edu) or Kym Welty (kwelty@umassd.edu) a quick email message now, requesting an invitation to complete our online advisement form.  Thank you! 

(3)  The Graduate Admissions Office is requesting that ALL applications be completed on line 

• Click on the link above (applications be completed on line) and READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY before beginning your online application process.

• Please see the last three bulleted options at the bottom of the application screen and choose Teaching - MAT. 

• On the first page of the application, you will be asked for supplemental information.  The last question on this page (#10 -- "If you have any specific information that would help us understand your application better,please provide it via the following comment box:") In that comment box, you MUST enter in the comments box that you are applying to "NSF TEACH! SouthCoast STEM as an NSF Teaching Fellow".

• Application fee:  $50.00 payable to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth during the online application

(4)   Compile the following documents and mail them to:

Office of Graduate Studies, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA, 02747-2300

• An updated professional résumé

• Required essay
  • In addition to the directions on the UMass application (see above), please submit an essay describing your professional goals and your commitment to teaching in a STEM content area in an urban high or middle school.

• MTEL program exam scores
  • Reports from both the Communications and Literacy Skills Test and Subject Matter Knowledge Test
  • Have you taken and passed two MTEL program exams yet?  For support in passing the MTELs, please see below

• Two recent letters of recommendation
  • One of which must address either your experience or your potential to work with middle or high school populations

• Proof of a completed bachelor’s degree
  • An official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from an accredited institution of higher education with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement should still considering applying.  Members of the Admissions Committee would like to see your overall application, including your essay and your letters of recommendation before they make their final determinations.  They have been known to be flexible with certain cases.  Please speak directly with Tyra or Kym for more details if you are concerned about the GPA requirement.

NSF Teaching Fellows application materials are due by Friday, March 2, 2012.  Once your applications materials have been received and reviewed, you will be contacted by Tyra Lopes Mendes, Program Director, to arrange an interview with the Admissions Committee.

How do I begin to prepare for the two mandatory Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) exams if I have not passed them yet?

For middle and high school initial licensure candidates, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires passing scores on TWO of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, also known as the MTELs.  Applicants to UMass Dartmouth's initial licensure programs must submit evidence of their passing scores in the application packet. 

All applicants must earn a passing score on the Communication and Literacy Skills exam:

• Communications and Literacy Skills:
  • Reading Practice Test
  • Writing Practice Test
  • Other test preparation materials may be available at your local book store or at an online bookstore such as Amazon.com

All applicants must earn a passing score on ONE Subject Matter Knowledge exam.  The SMK exam that you choose to take will be the one that is directly related to the content area that you wish to teach and earn your license in. 

• Subject Matter Knowledge Practice Exam Information
• Other test preparation materials may be available at your local book store or at an online bookstore such as Amazon.com

Your first step in preparing for one or both of the MTELs should be to take (at home or in a very quiet, private location) a timed "practice test."  In addition, you will certainly benefit from understanding the test objectives prior to taking your first practice test.

Once you complete this exam and grade it for yourself, you will immediately see which areas of knowledge and skills you are most strong in and which areas you clearly need a "refresher" course in.  You now have a "study plan" in front of you!

How can I get additional assistance in passing these exams if the "test prep books" are not enough?

UMass Dartmouth, along with our neighboring CONNECT Partnership institutions, offers "test preparation" classes that many candidates prefer to take with a group of students, versus studying in isolation with the test preparation books.

For the Communication and Literacy Skills exam, you can sign up for a "test prep" class at the following CONNECT Partnership institutions and others:

• UMass Dartmouth PCE MTEL Information
• Bridgewater State University MTEL Information
• Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) - List of MTEL Preparation Programs

For the Subject Matter Knowledge exam, if you feel that you simply need a quick "refresher" class in the content area, you can sign up for a "test prep" class at the following CONNECT Partnership institutions:

• Bridgewater State University MTEL Welcome page

If you realize that you would greatly benefit from a full "refresher course" in the content area, we highly encourage applicants to take a strong, but basic course at one of our CONNECT Partnership institutions:

• Bristol Community College (in Fall River)
• Cape Cod Community College (in Barnstable)
• Massasoit Community College (in Brockton)

Taking one of these courses above can not only assist you in passing a SMK MTEL, but doing so will also strengthen your overall application to the TEACH! program if you are seeking admission to a licensure program that was NOT your undergraduate major.  A strong passing grade in one of these undergraduate courses at the community college level will improve your overall undergraduate GPA and make you a stronger applicant, especially if you are applying for a licensure program that you do not have many courses in on your undergraduate transcript (e.g., that you did not major in or minor in).