Teacher Licensure​/Certification Coordinator & Advisor

Job Title

Teacher Licensure/Certification Coordinator & Advisor

Worcester

STEM Education

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

The Teacher Licensure Coordinator for the STEM Education Center is a vital team member that will coordinate the development, implementation, and growth of multiple teacher licensure pathways at WPI that expand access to STEM teaching careers and address STEM teacher shortages. Working collaboratively with WPI academic departments, K-12 public school districts, community college partners, and other stakeholders, this position will strengthen recruitment pathways, develop new licensure and graduate program opportunities, and create experiences that encourage students and professionals to pursue STEM teaching careers.

The Coordinator will also help advise potential and current students in the Center’s teacher education programs.

• Accelerated Post-Baccalaureate (APB) Licensure Program Development:
  Participate in the team effort on the design, planning, and implementation of an Accelerated Post-Baccalaureate (APB) licensure program. Design program structures that enable candidates to complete licensure requirements within one academic year. Develop partnerships with school districts to create paid internship and residency opportunities that allow candidates to earn licensure while gaining classroom experience.
• Conduct market analysis and feasibility studies, including enrollment projections, workforce demand, resource requirements, revenue potential, and competitive benchmarking. Identify and engage prospective student populations, including current WPI students, graduate students, alumni, career changers, and interested master's students. Develop program budgets, cost structures, and sustainability plans.
• Coordinate institutional and state approval processes, including preparation for Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) informal review and approval. Create recruitment, advising, and student support systems for APB participants. Development of partnerships with districts to support paraprofessionals, emergency-license holders, long-term substitutes, and other educator candidates seeking licensure.
• Graduate Program Development:
  Explore and develop new graduate degree options in STEM Education and teacher licensure including graduate certificates, and a MAT program. Conduct feasibility analyses related to market demand, program costs, enrollment potential, and district partnerships. Develop innovative models, including internship-based programs, that reduce barriers to graduate enrollment and licensure completion. Collaborate with academic and administrative stakeholders on program design, implementation, and approval processes.
• Undergraduate and Graduate STEM Teacher Preparation Pathways:
  Develop models that increase flexibility and participation in STEM teacher preparation programs across academic disciplines. Collaborate with WPI STEM departments to develop discipline-specific pathways that integrate teacher preparation experiences into undergraduate and graduate degree programs (e.g., BS/MS). Work with departments to identify curriculum structures that allow education coursework to count toward graduate degree requirements where appropriate (e.g., directed research, project work, capstones).
  
  Work with Center colleagues to support a Professional Learning Community.
• Community College Partnerships and Transfer Pathway Development:
  Develop and strengthen transfer pathways from Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) and other community colleges into WPI’s Teacher Preparation Program (TPP). Maintain and expand relationships with QCC leadership, transfer personnel, and STEM faculty partners. Explore and establish transferable, dual-credit, and course-substitution pathways related to teacher preparation requirements. Develop opportunities for transfer students to engage in pre-practicum experiences. Investigate summer pathway programs, internships, and scholarship-supported experiences that support teacher preparation.
  
  Create and implement recruitment strategies targeting…