TITLE

Massachusetts Institute for New Teachers (MINT)

HISTORY and MOTIVATION

The Massachusetts Institute for New Teachers (MINT) is an intensive teacher preparation program that provides a unique opportunity for the most qualified and motivated recent college graduates and mid-career professionals to make an immediate impact in the classrooms. MINT participants earn their Massa chusetts teaching credentials – an Initial license – through an intensive summer training institute, followed by an on-going support and assessment program during their first year as a teacher on record in a public school.

MINT participants come from all walks of life. Business professionals, scientists, social workers, lawyers, engineers, doctors, retired military personnel, and recent college graduates have all made successful career transitions to the classroom with the assistance of this program. Regardless of the differences in their professional backgrounds, MINT participants are united by a desire to make a rapid entry into the classroom where they can use their experience to affect dramatic gains in student achievement. African-American, Latino, Native American and Asian-American candidates are especially needed to reflect the population of students we serve in our urban schools.

Since 1999, the MINT program has received nearly 4,000 applications from candidates in 40 states and eight countries. Over 600 teachers have been trained through MINT, with more than half teaching in high-demand content areas. MINT graduates are now working in more than 225 schools in all regions of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . In a telling sign of success, a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts - Amherst found that almost 90% of school principals who have hired MINT graduates would do so again, without reservation.

A typical MINT cohort offers a diverse range of experiences and perspectives. Approximately two-thirds of past participants identified themselves as "career-changers." The other one-third joined the program as recent college graduates from some of our most respected institutions of higher education. There is a fairly wide age distribution within the program: 23% or our participants were 25 or younger; 22% between 26 and 30; 25% between 31 and 40; and 29% were 41 and older.

GRADE LEVELS and/or SUBJECT AREAS

The MINT program seeks candidates who have a sound academic or professional background in one of the core subject areas where we are experiencing significant shortages of public school teachers - math, science, and special education-moderate disabilities. Candidates for English licensure may apply, but we are not recruiting for other fields.

The chart below lists the subject areas, and grade levels.

 

Subject Area

Grade Level

Middle School Mathematics

5 th – 8 th

Middle/High School Mathematics

5 th - 12th

General Science

5 th - 8 th

Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics

5 th – 12 th

Special Education – Students with Moderate Disabilities

5 th – 12 th

English

5 th – 12 th


WHO OPERATES

The Educator Preparation and Quality cluster of the state Department of Education is working to build a network of state-approved licensure programs , based in the high-need urban districts throughout Massachusetts.

REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER

All MINT candidates must pass both sections (communication/literacy skills and a subject area) of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL).

In addition to this testing requirement, candidates must hold a bachelor's degree and meet any one of the following eligibility criteria:

Note: Graduates of state-approved teacher preparation programs (NASDTEC/NCATE/Northeast Regional Credential) are not eligible to apply to the Massachusetts Initiative for New Teachers (MINT).

Seniors must possess a bachelor's degree from a college or university by June 2004

Current seniors and recent graduates of accredited undergraduate institutions are eligible to apply to MINT if they meet one of the following criteria:

  1. Ranking in the top ten percent of the candidate's graduating class;
  2. Minimum of 3.0 grade point average overall in an undergraduate or graduate program from the college or university the candidate attended;
  3. Ranking in the top tenth percentile overall on a nationally recognized examination designated by the Commissioner including, but not limited to, the GRE, MCAT and LSAT;
  4. An outstanding record of community service. Please be prepared to document and verify this record of service on your on-line application and in your 2 letters of recommendation.

Mid-Career Professionals --- Mid-career professionals do not need to meet the academic eligibility outlined above. A mid-career professional is defined as someone who has graduated from an undergraduate program five or more years before applying. All mid-career professionals are eligible to apply to MINT on the basis of their work experience.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The MINT program is addressing the challenge of recruiting qualified educators by opening doors for candidates who do not have the time or financial resources to pursue Initial licensure in a traditional college or university setting.

MINT participants are able to fulfill the majority of the course requirements for an Initial license by the end of the program's summer training component. The remaining requirements (additional coursework and a supervised teaching experience) are met while the MINT participant is a full time, salaried teacher in one of the 2004 program districts. Successful participants are eligible to be endorsed for an Initial license by the end of their first year of teaching.

The Massachusetts Initiative for New Teachers (MINT) begins with a rigorous pre-service summer training program with a clear, overarching goal to ensure that new teachers enter their classrooms ready to make a positive impact on their students' academic achievement. MINT provides its participants invaluable opportunities to exercise, reflect upon, and discuss best teaching practices, thereby giving new teachers the foundation they need to grow into excellent teachers.

Each of MINT's 2004 programs offers a summer program of study that includes:

  • Field experiences in a summer school program located within the district where the participant will be employed.
  • Courses and seminars that address the Massachusetts Professional Standards for Teachers, including lesson design, classroom management skills, assessment techniques, and strategies for working with special needs students.
  • Courses and seminars that address content specific strategies and Curriculum Frameworks for middle and high school math, science, English, and special education-moderate disabilities teachers.

During their first year as teachers of record, MINT participants will be assigned a mentor and have extensive opportunities to meet with and observe experienced mentor teachers in their district. Participants also continue to attend periodic seminars for on-going professional development.

The participating districts make decisions on levels of acceptance, after a rigorous selection process.

NUMBER of CREDIT HOURS to COMPLETE

During the summer training, MINT participants complete approximately 200 "clock hours" of professional development seminars. During their first year of teaching, participants complete an additional 18 "clock hours" of support seminars.

WHO EVALUATES

The first year of teaching is evaluated and supervised by the school district. Ultimately, MINT participants will have to complete a Performance Assessment to qualify for Initial licensure.