MTEL case studies
MTEL · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) is the testing program used in Massachusetts for educators seeking PreK to grade 12 academic licenses. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education initiated it in 1998 as part of the state's education reform initiative, and the program also includes tests for candidates seeking vocational technical and adult basic education licenses. The MTEL case studies are 5 cases and about 2,784 words.
1Prioritizing Conventions Instruction from Error Patterns
Alvarez teaches four sections of seventh-grade ELA; the target class has 26 students. Over five weeks she collected three timed persuasive essays and coded conventions errors.
618 words, about 3 min2Matching Reading Scaffolds to Distinct Profiles
Okafor teaches one section of ninth-grade biology with 28 students. Fall screening shows 6 students decode below grade level (under 85% accuracy on a grade-level passage), 9 read fluently but score below 50% on inference questions, and 13 are proficient.
551 words, about 3 min3Revising a Dismissal Memo for a Confused Staff
Principal Hale sends a one-page memo to 60 staff members about revised dismissal procedures. The memo states: 'Teachers should not release students before 3:05 unless they have prior approval, which should be obtained from the office by 2:00, except on early release days when the schedule is different.
545 words, about 3 min4Diagnosing Fraction Division Misconceptions
An eighth-grade math class of 24 students completes an exit ticket: 'A recipe uses 1/2 cup of oil per batch. How many batches can you make with 3/4 cup of oil?' Student responses fall into three groups: 11 students wrote 3/8 batch, 8 students wrote 1 1/2 batches, and 5 students wrote 1 1/4 batches.
543 words, about 3 min5Confounded Variables in a Plant-Growth Experiment
A seventh-grade class of 22 students investigates: 'Does fertilizer affect bean plant height?' Each group of three designs its own setup. Group A places 3 bean plants on a windowsill and waters them daily with 10 mL of fertilizer solution.
527 words, about 3 min