I looked into education programs to go from a Preliminary to an Initial license. These programs are not trivial! They are full blown programs that may take you anywhere from 2 to 3 years to complete. The Mass Dept of Education website has this list of recognized programs in Massachusetts: Programs Directory.
I contacted a few of them, and most of them said their enrollment was already closed for 2010-2011. Too bad.
That’s when I started looking for online programs: going at my own pace, better chance of rolling enrollment, etc.
Most of these online programs are based out of state, but they can be verified and recognized by the Massachusetts DOE as long as the program is accredited by one of these organizations:
Accredited Organizations
Besides being accredited by the organizations, the institution of your choice must also be in a state that enjoys reciprocity with Massachusetts. Here is the form that needs to be filled out. Look at the last page to see the state and certification type that has reciprocity: Reciprocity Form
To find an online program, go to eLearner. On the right-hand side, use the dropdowns to select the following options:
- Certificate Programs
- Education and Training
- General Education
That will take you to programs that MAY have an Initial license certification program. Make sure to read through the descriptions and contact the universities directly to find out for sure!
I contacted a couple of them, and I have phone calls pending to find out more about the tuition, pace, etc.
- Saint Joseph’s University – OATCERT Program (Pennsylvania)
Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education - Western Governors University – Teacher Certification (Utah)
Accredited by NCATE.org
I actually liked what I read about Western Governors University. You pay by the semester (less than $3,000), which means that you can cram as many classes as you possibly can in one semester. The faster you finish, the more you save. That idea was really appealing to me.
I asked them more about it. They said you have to sign up for a minimum of 12 credits. If you still have time left in the semester after you are done with those, you can add more onto your load mid-semester without paying more.
Hope this helps!
ina