Test Information Guide
Overview and Test Objectives
Field 56: Sheltered English Immersion
Test Overview
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) and online proctored test; 60 multiple-choice questions, 1 open-response item consisting of 5 parts |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions |
|
| Time | 4 hours (does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial) |
| Passing Score | 240 |
The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) are designed to measure a candidate's knowledge of the subject matter contained in the test objectives for each field. The MTEL are aligned with the Massachusetts educator licensure regulations and, as applicable, with the standards in the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.
The test objectives specify the content to be covered on the test and are organized by major content subareas. The chart below shows the approximate percentage of the total test score derived from each of the subareas.
The Sheltered English Immersion test is one of the options for educators seeking to fulfill the requirements for the SEI Endorsement. For more information about the SEI Endorsement, see Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners (RETELL) 
on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.
Pie chart of approximate test weighting outlined in the table below.
Test Objectives
| Subareas | Range of Objectives | Approximate Test Weighting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple-Choice | |||
| I | The World of English Language Learners and Their Teachers | 01–03 | 10% |
| II | Teaching Language and Sheltering Content in the Classroom | 04–09 | 28% |
| III | Literacy and Standards-Based Content Teaching for English Language Learners | 10–12 | 22% |
| 60% | |||
| Open-Response* | |||
| IV | Integration of Knowledge and Understanding | 13 | 40% |
*The open-response item may relate to topics covered in any of the subareas.
Subarea I–The World of English Language Learners and Their Teachers
Objective 0001: Analyze and apply knowledge of data and policies relevant to English language learners.
For example:- Apply understanding of all educators' shared responsibility to educate and support all English language learners.
- Demonstrate familiarity with relevant federal and state laws pertaining to English language learners (e.g., Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71A as amended by Chapter 386 of the Acts of 2002 [Question 2]; Regulations for Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval [603 CMR 7.00]; Education of English Learners Regulations [603 CMR 14.00]; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA]).
- Apply knowledge of school policies related to English language learners, including initial identification of English language learners and required data, assessment, and support systems for current and former English language learners.
Objective 0002: Apply knowledge of diversity within English language learner populations.
For example:- Apply knowledge of the characteristics of special populations of English language learners (e.g., newcomers, refugees, long-term English language learners, English language learners with disabilities, students with interrupted formal education [SIFE] or limited formal education, undocumented immigrants, migrants, English language learners with trauma, English language learners with low socioeconomic status) and the distinct strengths and challenges of each special population.
- Recognize the individual social, cultural, and educational experiences of English language learners and the unique skills and abilities that English language learners possess.
- Apply knowledge of a variety of appropriate educational and support services, both in and out of the classroom, in addition to creating a classroom culture of access and inclusion, for promoting English language learners' ability to grow and achieve to their full potential.
- Apply knowledge of cultural differences in educational practices, including culturally influenced approaches to learning (e.g., cooperation vs. competition, inductive vs. deductive), and the effects of these differences on English language learners' learning and achievement.
Objective 0003: Apply knowledge of cultural and social aspects of teaching in the SEI classroom and school.
For example:- Recognize the nature of culture, major concepts related to culture (e.g., deep vs. surface culture, collectivism vs. individualism) and cultural adaptation (e.g., cultural shock), and the influence of cultural differences (e.g., cultural assumptions, beliefs, and values; communication patterns; socioeconomic differences; cultural views on literacy) on the teaching and learning of English language learners.
- Apply knowledge of attitudes, practices, and strategies for creating a culturally inclusive and welcoming classroom environment, helping English language learners understand and successfully navigate the differences between the home and school cultures, and drawing on English language learners' cultural and linguistic resources to inform instruction.
- Demonstrate understanding of English language learners' families, including the structure of family constellations (e.g., transnational families, separated families) in immigrant and newcomer homes, the importance of viewing families from a "strengths" perspective, and how English language learners' families and communities can and do support students' learning and achievement.
- Apply understanding of the role of families as cultural and heritage-language resources for supporting student learning and development both at home and at school and of the importance of establishing and maintaining strong school-home-community partnerships and communicating in a linguistically and culturally relevant manner with families (e.g., translation of written communications, effective use of interpreters).
Subarea II–Teaching Language and Sheltering Content in the Classroom
Objective 0004: Examine the role of language and linguistics in instructing English language learners.
For example:- Apply knowledge of important linguistic terminology and concepts in the areas of phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, discourse, and pragmatics, including knowledge of the units of language (e.g., phonemes, morphemes, words, phrases, sentences, extended text), rhetorical registers, and writing conventions, including those represented in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy and the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment English Language Development Standards (WIDA ELD Standards).
- Apply understanding of the nature of language transfer and the influence of transfer from the first language on English language learners' second-language acquisition, including how linguistic features of English compare and contrast with linguistic features of other languages.
- Apply understanding of the relationships between language forms (units of language) and language functions (the purpose for which units of language are used) and of contextual factors (e.g., cultural and social norms, physical setting, relationships among participants, audience) that affect a speaker's or writer's use of language forms and functions as represented in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy and the WIDA ELD Standards.
- Analyze language structures of academic oral and written language functions (e.g., to inform, to persuade, to support an argument).
Objective 0005: Apply knowledge of second-language acquisition and the contributing factors in the SEI classroom.
For example:- Apply understanding of key theories of second-language acquisition (e.g., social vs. academic language, interdependence/"dual iceberg" hypothesis) in order to plan and deliver effective SEI instruction.
- Apply understanding of characteristics of various stages and processes of second-language development (e.g., receptive vs. productive skills), including the various English language proficiency levels (i.e., entering, emerging, developing, expanding, bridging, and reaching) as described in the WIDA ELD Standards in order to plan and deliver effective SEI instruction.
- Apply understanding of physical, cognitive, and educational factors (e.g., age, prior schooling in the first language, first-language literacy level, metalinguistic/metacognitive awareness, continuity of schooling) that can influence English language learners' acquisition of English, including factors that affect the rate at which English language learners acquire fluent English proficiency.
- Apply understanding of affective factors (e.g., motivation, inhibition, personality, social distance, affective filter) that can influence English language learners' acquisition of English, including factors that affect the rate at which English language learners acquire fluent English proficiency.
- Apply understanding of sociocultural, political, and ideological factors (e.g., social distance, psychological distance, social and cultural capital, cultural identity) that can influence English language learners' acquisition of English, including factors that affect the rate at which English language learners acquire fluent English proficiency.
- Apply knowledge of how to create school and classroom environments that support English language learners' acquisition of English (e.g., creating a visually supportive and text-rich environment, promoting meaningful communication, reducing the environmental affective filter, discerning when to emphasize fluency and communication and when to emphasize explicit error correction).
Objective 0006: Analyze strategies for promoting oral language, listening comprehension, and vocabulary development in the SEI classroom.
For example:- Recognize the role of aural (listening) and oral (speaking) language development across the curriculum, including the significance of listening comprehension (e.g., listening for main ideas and details, responding to verbal questions) and links between oral language and literacy development.
- Recognize the role of vocabulary development in context across the curriculum, including the importance of vocabulary development as a key for unlocking meaning in content lessons, the link between vocabulary development and academic achievement, and the influence of vocabulary on English language learners' academic language development.
- Apply knowledge of a range of oral communication and interpersonal skills, as well as vocabulary skills, as described in the WIDA ELD Standards (e.g., Speaking Rubric of the WIDA Consortium) and in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy to provide English language learners with explicit instruction in how to communicate effectively for social and instructional purposes within the school setting.
- Analyze methods and practices that provide opportunities for students to engage in listening comprehension activities and encourage students' oral language use and development (e.g., cooperative learning, think-pair-share), including providing appropriate feedback and designing a learning environment that promotes meaningful and purposeful oral interactions.
- Apply knowledge of evidence-based principles of effective vocabulary instruction (e.g., recognizing the three tiers of vocabulary, selecting words for vocabulary instruction that may pose special challenges for English language learners [e.g., idiomatic expressions, cognates and false cognates], teaching word parts/analysis, preteaching content vocabulary, teaching concepts versus labels, reinforcing vocabulary through meaningful exposure to and opportunities to use new vocabulary in context).
- Analyze methods and practices for promoting English language learners' vocabulary development (e.g., word guesses, semantic maps, interactive word walls, drama and chants), including using technology to build vocabulary.
Objective 0007: Apply knowledge of principles of sheltering content for English language learners in the classroom.
For example:- Apply understanding of the key features and goals of SEI, including types of SEI programming models, variations in SEI protocols (e.g., the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol [SIOP®] Model), and differences between English as a Second Language (ESL) and SEI.
- Apply understanding of key procedures used in planning SEI instruction, including using model performance indicators and designing concurrent language and content instructional objectives.
- Apply understanding of key strategies used in implementing SEI instruction (e.g., providing comprehensible input, promoting students' development of learning skills and strategies, providing opportunities for interaction).
- Apply knowledge of how to create and maintain a safe and collaborative learning environment that values diversity, promotes student engagement, and motivates students to meet high standards of conduct, effort, and performance.
- Recognize the role of the SEI teacher as a partner to ESL staff and the importance of consulting and collaborating with ESL staff to provide English language learners with comprehensive, challenging educational opportunities.
Objective 0008: Analyze strategies for teaching academic language in the SEI classroom.
For example:- Recognize differences between social and academic language and the importance of these differences in planning, differentiating, and delivering effective instruction for English language learners at various grade, English proficiency, and literacy levels.
- Recognize the role of academic language in students' content knowledge and reading comprehension in the content areas and the needs of English language learners with limited academic language proficiency (e.g., students with strong social language skills but weak academic language skills, students with interrupted formal education [SIFE], students with disabilities).
- Apply knowledge of the characteristic features of academic language at the word/phrase level (e.g., technical language), the sentence level (e.g., complexity of grammatical structures), and the discourse level (e.g., density of text) in the content areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies as described in WIDA's Features of Academic Language, the WIDA ELD Standards, and the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy.
- Demonstrate ability to use meaning-based approaches to analyze the language of academic texts (e.g., analyzing the rhetorical structure of a text, deconstructing sentences, unpacking a text clause by clause to investigate language patterns used in the text) to identify areas that may be linguistically demanding for English language learners.
- Analyze methods and practices for developing English language learners' academic language proficiency (e.g., explicit instruction in academic vocabulary, clear explanations of academic language structures and vocabulary, sentence frames) and for including students in classroom academic discourse.
Objective 0009: Apply knowledge of assessment of English language learners in the SEI classroom.
For example:- Recognize the challenges associated with assessing English language learners, including the nature and role of cultural bias and linguistic bias in assessment and consideration of linguistic factors that can influence special education assessment.
- Apply knowledge of valid and reliable assessments for English language learners.
- Apply knowledge of types and purposes of formative and summative classroom assessments (e.g., grading rubrics, textbook assessments, curriculum-based assessments, performance assessments, assessment portfolios) used with English language learners, including the benefits and features of performance-based content assessment for English language learners at various English proficiency levels, and how to interpret and use informal assessment results to inform classroom instruction (e.g., grading English language learners at various proficiency levels, providing appropriate assessment feedback).
- Apply knowledge of types and purposes of standardized assessments used with English language learners, including the WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs®) test and Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), and how to interpret and use data from standardized assessments to inform classroom instruction.
- Apply knowledge of how to differentiate assessments for English language learners as appropriate for the purpose and their English proficiency level (e.g., modifying formative assessments by reducing the linguistic load while maintaining high content and knowledge expectations), including acceptable assessment accommodations (e.g., bilingual dictionaries, linguistic modifications) for English language learners on classroom assessments and state standardized assessments.
Subarea III–Literacy and Standards-Based Content Teaching for English Language Learners
Objective 0010: Analyze strategies for teaching reading in the SEI classroom.
For example:- Recognize the interrelationships between oral and written language, including the role of oral language in literacy development, and how to use oral language to promote literacy and vice versa.
- Recognize the role of the first language in English language learners' reading development, including the relationship and transfer of existing first-language reading skills to the second language and differences in initial literacy instruction for students who are and are not literate in their first language.
- Apply knowledge of the range, quality, and complexity of student reading as described in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (e.g., Standard 10) to identify areas that may be linguistically demanding or conceptually unfamiliar to English language learners at different English proficiency levels and to provide English language learners with exposure to and explicit instruction in a range of literary text types (e.g., stories, drama, poetry) and informational text types (e.g., literary nonfiction, historical texts, scientific texts, technical texts).
- Apply knowledge of evidence-based principles of effective reading instruction (e.g., creating literacy-rich classroom environments, promoting students' metacognitive and metalinguistic awareness during literacy tasks, activating and building background knowledge, encouraging close reading, using multicultural and high-interest reading materials, using computers and multimedia activities to encourage reading) for English language learners at various grade, English proficiency, and literacy levels.
- Analyze sheltered strategies for reading that emphasize making content comprehensible and methods and practices for developing the foundational reading skills (e.g., print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency) and reading comprehension skills of English language learners at various grade, English proficiency, and literacy levels, including purposes for different types of reading (e.g., silent reading, oral reading, choral reading, partner reading).
- Analyze methods and practices (e.g., think-alouds) for promoting English language learners' understanding and use of reading strategies (e.g., predicting, skimming, scanning, visualizing, questioning, monitoring for understanding, summarizing, identifying important information, using visual/graphic features).
Objective 0011: Analyze strategies for teaching writing in the SEI classroom.
For example:- Recognize the interrelationships between reading and writing and how to use writing to promote reading and vice versa.
- Recognize the role of the first language in English language learners' writing development, including the relationship and possible transfer of existing first-language writing skills to the second language and cultural differences in written discourse structures (e.g., rhetorical traditions, organizational patterns).
- Apply knowledge of text types and genres as described in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy to provide English language learners with explicit instruction in how to write in a range of literary text types (e.g., stories, poems) and informational text types (e.g., lab reports, research reports), including helping students understand the writing-reading connection.
- Apply knowledge of formal elements of written English as described in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (e.g., Language Progressive Skills chart) to provide English language learners with explicit, systematic instruction in different text structures (e.g., narrative, expository, persuasive) and conventions of written Standard English (e.g., mechanics, syntax, grammar, spelling).
- Apply knowledge of evidence-based principles of effective writing instruction (e.g., using first-language writing skills as a bridge to writing in English, using technology to build and encourage writing skills, providing responsive feedback on written assignments) for English language learners at various grade, English proficiency, and literacy levels.
- Analyze scaffolded strategies for writing (e.g., using graphic organizers, writing templates, semantic maps) and methods and practices (e.g., collaborative writing, facilitated writing, shared writing, process writing, journal writing) for developing the writing skills of English language learners at various grade, English proficiency, and literacy levels.
Objective 0012: Apply knowledge of standards-based content teaching for English language learners.
For example:- Apply knowledge of relevant Massachusetts content-area standards as described in the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks to anticipate areas of greatest need for English language learners.
- Apply knowledge of the WIDA ELD Standards, including social and instructional language, as related to the content areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies to promote English language learners' ability to communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content areas.
- Apply knowledge of how to plan content instruction guided by both language and content objectives that is aligned with the WIDA ELD Standards and the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks and is appropriate for English language learners at various grade, English proficiency, and literacy levels.
- Apply knowledge of methods and practices for making content comprehensible and accessible to English language learners (e.g., activating and building background knowledge, using visual and contextual aids, using graphic organizers, checking for understanding).
- Apply knowledge of supplementary materials for making content comprehensible and accessible to English language learners (e.g., additional readings, first-language materials, audiovisual and multimedia devices) and strategies for supporting English language learners' access to and comprehension of authentic content-area texts (e.g., scaffolding complex texts, breaking large passages into smaller chunks).
Subarea IV–Integration of Knowledge and Understanding
In addition to answering multiple-choice items, candidates will prepare written responses to questions addressing content summarized in the objective below.
Objective 0013: Prepare an organized, developed analysis related to one or more of the following: the world of English language learners and their teachers; teaching language and sheltering content in the classroom; literacy and standards-based content teaching for English language learners.
(Refer to objectives 0001 through 0012 and associated descriptive statements.)