Sheltered English Immersion Endorsement

Effective July 1, 2014, all candidates for an Initial teaching license as a core academic teacher must receive a “Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement” to receive an Initial teaching license from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. SEI is an approach to teaching which makes content material comprehensible and accessible to English Language Learners. Core academic teachers include Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education teachers of English, Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, History, History/Government/Geography, the Sciences, and Special Education teachers. Undergraduate licensure candidates must take EDUC 222; PBTL candidates are required to take either EDUC 222 or TESL 910; M.Ed. Initial licensure candidates take TESL 910, unless they have already earned the SEI endorsement through their districts of employment.

Licensure candidates and licensed teachers must apply for the SEI endorsement. This is separate from applying for a license.

Education Department 2013 Letter to teacher candidates

SEI Facts and Frequently Asked Questions

M.Ed. candidates who are currently working in public schools may take a DESE-approved stand-alone SEI course through their districts of employment, if possible.

Candidates seeking licensure via a Master of Education degree may be exempted from the SEI course requirement if they meet one of the following criteria:

Pass the SEI MTEL (available in spring 2014)
Earn the ESL license
Not seeking licensure in a core area (see list above)
Already hold the SEI endorsement

To receive SEI Endorsement from FSU, you must:

be enrolled in an approved FSU program leading to Initial licensure
or
successfully complete TESL 910 (since fall 2017).

Note: Approved Initial licensure programs include a practicum.
Completers of the following degrees who take TESL 910 as well as the appropriate practicum for the license sought are eligible for the SEI endorsement from FSU:
1. M.Ed. Special Education
2. M.Ed. Curriculum and Instructional Technology
3. M.Ed. Language and Literacy
complete the required course as part of your Initial licensure program, prior to the practicum experience.
- Undergraduates must take EDUC 222.
- PBTL candidates take either EDUC 222 or TESL 910.
- M.Ed. Secondary Education candidates must take TESL 910.

apply for the SEI endorsement on ELAR. We will walk you through this at the Licensure Workshop at the end of the semester.

Frequently Asked Questions:

I am currently teaching, but cannot take the RETELL course through my district because I do not have any English Language Learners in my class. May I take the course at FSU?

You must take TESL 910, which is a stand-alone course (since fall 2017).
I hold an Initial Elementary license; I am working on the M.Ed. Special Education degree and plan on adding the Moderate Disabilities PreK-8 Initial through an internship rather than the practicum. May I take the SEI course at FSU and receive the SEI endorsement?

You must take TESL 910, which is a stand-alone course (since fall 2017).
I am enrolled in the M.Ed. Literacy and Language to advance my Early Childhood PreK-2 Initial
license to Professional. May I take the SEI course and receive the SEI endorsement from FSU?

You must take TESL 910, which is a stand-alone course (since fall 2017).
I am enrolled in the M.Ed. Literacy and Language to add the Specialist Teacher: Reading Initial
license. May I take the SEI course and receive the SEI endorsement from FSU?

Yes.
I am finishing the M.Ed. TESL and TESL PreK-6 practicum at the end of this semester. I understand that this will qualify me for the SEI endorsement. Will FSU provide the endorsement?

The license qualifies you for the SEI endorsement. You will need to apply for the SEI endorsement via ELAR. FSU cannot issue the endorsement.
I plan to take the SEI MTEL this spring or summer and enroll in the practicum in fall to complete my Moderate Disabilities Initial licensure program. Will FSU endorse me for SEI as well as the teaching license?

A passing score on the SEI MTEL qualifies you for the SEI endorsement. You will need to apply for the SEI endorsement via ELAR. Unless you take TESL 910, FSU cannot issue the endorsement.
I completed an approved SEI course at another Massachusetts state university, prior to transferring to FSU. Will I need to take FSU’s SEI course as well?

No. The course will transfer in and substitute for EDUC 222 or TESL 910. However, we cannot issue the SEI endorsement. If you took a stand-alone course, the other college or university will endorse you.

Sheltered English Immersion Endorsement

Educator Licensure and Placement Office