A Distinction That Matters:

1
National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS)
A Distinction That Matters National Board
Certification

2
At the Center of It All Improved Student
Learning
www.nbpts.org
3
NBPTS Mission

• To advance the quality of teaching and learning
  by
• Maintaining high and rigorous standards for what
  accomplished teachers should know and be able to
  do,
• Providing a national voluntary system certifying
  teachers who met these standards, and
• Advocating related education reforms to integrate
  National Board Certification in American
  education and to capitalize on the expertise of
  National Board Certified Teachers.

1-800-22TEACH
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National Board Certification

• Is a year-long performance-based assessment of
  actual teaching practice and is the only process
  of its kind.
• Is grounded in research.
• Is used by states and local school districts to
  identify and reward their best and most
  accomplished teachers, helping schools meet the
  requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.
• Represents an opportunity for professional growth
  unlike any other now available to teachers.
• Is a symbol of professional teaching excellence.

It is a chance to let people see that teachers
are getting the job done. -Celeste
Fobia-McClure, NBCT, Early Childhood/Generalist,
California
1-800-22TEACH
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NBPTS Background

• The National Board for Professional Teaching
  Standards is an independent, nonprofit,
  nonpartisan and non-governmental organization
• NBPTS was created in 1987 in response to A Nation
  At Risk and A Nation Prepared
• NBPTS receives support from foundations,
  corporations, and grants from the U.S. Department
  of Education for candidate fees

www.nbpts.org
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What are the Candidate Requirements?
Candidates must have

• A bachelors degree
• A minimum of three years teaching in a public or
  private school
• A valid teaching license

1-800-22TEACH
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National Board Certified Teachers
Total NBCTs 32,130
As of 1/04
www.nbpts.org
8
Where are the NBCTs ?
Total NBCTs 32,130
344
6
65
35
49
17
262
102
409
312
19
196
396
50
90
148
123
141
37
421
147
2175
68
53
824
105
151
207
173
2646
199
552
147
335
539
11
6641
91
187
121
859
183
3225
1766
1323
632
141
58
337
4942
www.nbpts.org
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As of December 2002, legislative and policy
action creating incentives and recognition for
National Board Certification has been enacted in
49 states. Please check http//www.nbpts.org/about
/state.cfm for current information.
www.nbpts.org
9
Incentives for National Board Certification
As of January 2004, legislative and policy action
creating incentives and recognition for National
Board Certification has been enacted in 50 states
and in approximately 535 local school districts,
including the District of Columbia. As a
demonstration of their commitment to accomplished
teaching, these states and localities offer a
range of incentives that may include

• Salary supplements
• Full or partial fee support
• Full or partial credential reciprocity
• State license renewal
• Stipends for mentoring new teachers and new
  candidates for National Board Certification
• Graduate credit

Please visit http//www.nbpts.org/about/state.cfm
for current information.
1-800-22TEACH
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NBPTS and the No Child Left Behind Act
NBPTS and the No Child Left Behind Act

• The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that
  by the end of the 2005-2006 school year, there be
  a highly qualified teacher in every classroom.
  NBCTs are those high quality teachers.
• NCLB emphasizes the need for schools to identify
  student-learning deficiencies and develop
  specific interventions, just as candidates
  seeking NB certification.
• NCLB emphasizes and supports teacher-mentoring
  initiatives. States and local school districts
  are already using NBCTs as mentors. NBCTs are
  also valuable leaders in high-quality,
  standards-based professional development programs
  and serve as school and district-wide curriculum
  leaders.

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NBPTS and the No Child Left Behind Act

• A key component of NCLB is to support programs
  that promote the retention of highly qualified
  teachers. NB Certification does just this. States
  and localities are using National Board
  Certification to attract, reward, and retain
  highly accomplished teachers.
• Funding for NBPTS federal candidate subsidy
  programs and targeted recruitment activities in
  high-need areas are authorized under NCLB.
• For more information, visit the government
  relations section of our Web site
  http//www.nbpts.org/about/govt.cfm.

12
NBPTS and Research

• National Board Certification is grounded in
  research. There have been more than 140 studies,
  reports and papers commissioned on the value of
  the National Board Certification process, as well
  as its standards and assessments. The National
  Board has subjected itself to a higher standard
  of research and validation than any other
  professional board in the United States.

13
NBPTS and Research

• In March 2004, Dan Goldhaber of the University of
  Washington and Emily Anthony of The Urban
  Institute released an expansive study linking
  NBCTs to higher student achievement. The
  scientifically based study, funded by the U.S.
  Department of Education (and not part of the
  NBPTS research agenda) examined over 600,000
  student records from the North Carolina
  Department of Public Instruction. The three-year
  study found that teachers who achieve National
  Board Certification do a measurably better job in
  the classroom.

• Students of NBCTs improved an average of seven
  percent more on their year-end math and reading
  tests than students whose teachers attempted but
  failed to gain certification.
• This performance differential was most pronounced
  for younger and lower-income students whose gains
  were as high as 15 percent.

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NBPTS Standards
www.nbpts.org
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About NBPTS Standards

• Standards in each certificate field are developed
  by the Standards Committee
• Standards are reviewed publicly by a field of
  education and teaching experts
• The review is based on the National Boards core
  policy statement, What Teachers Should Know and
  Be Able to Do, which identifies the Five Core
  Propositions

1-800-22TEACH
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About NBPTS Standards

• NBPTS Standards are created/revised on a regular
  basis. Teachers are involved at all levels of the
  process setting standards, advising assessment
  development, and scoring portfolios.
• The NBPTS Board of Directors appoints teachers to
  serve on standards committees. Others who serve
  on these committees include
• Teacher Educators
• Developmental Experts
• Leaders in Disciplinary Fields

www.nbpts.org
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NBPTS Five Core Propositions

• I. Teachers are committed to students and their
  learning.
• II. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how
  to teach those subjects to students.
• III. Teachers are responsible for managing and
  monitoring student learning.
• IV. Teachers think systematically about their
  practice and learn from experience.
• V. Teachers are members of learning communities.

1-800-22TEACH
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NBPTS Certificates

• Art
• Early Childhood and Middle Childhood/Art
• Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Art
• Career and Technical Education
• Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Career
  and Technical Education
• English as a New Language
• Early Childhood and Middle Childhood/English as a
  New Language
• Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/English
  as a New Language
• English Language Arts
• Early Adolescence/English Language Arts
• Adolescence and Young Adulthood/English Language
  Arts
• Exceptional Needs Specialist
• Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Exceptiona
  l Needs Specialist

www.nbpts.org
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NBPTS Certificates

• Generalist
• Early Childhood/Generalist
• Middle Childhood/Generalist
• Library Media
• Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Library
  Media
• Literacy
• Early Childhood and Middle Childhood/Literacy
  Reading-Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Early Adolescence/Mathematics
• Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Mathematics
• Music
• Early Childhood and Middle Childhood/Music
• Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Music
• Physical Education
• Early Childhood and Middle Childhood/Physical
  Education
• Early Adolescence through Young
  Adulthood/Physical Education

1-800-22TEACH
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NBPTS Certificates

• School Counseling
• Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/School
  Counseling
• Science
• Early Adolescence/Science
• Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science
• Social Studies History
• Early Adolescence/Social Studies History
• Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Social Studies
  History
• World Languages Other than English
• Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/World
  Languages Other than English

www.nbpts.org
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What Are the Age Categories?
www.nbpts.org
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National Board Certification Assessment

• Provides extensive professional development
  experience
• Measures accomplished teaching
• Provides evaluators and candidates with ample
  opportunity for analysis and reflection on
  excellent teaching practices

It is an opportunity to examine your practice,
a chance to reflect on what you are doing or not
doing. -Anne Poplin, NBCT, Adolescence and Young
Adulthood/English Language Arts, South Carolina
1-800-22TEACH
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About National Board Certification Assessment

• National Board Certification assessment has two
  components
• I. A portfolio of classroom teaching
• An assessment of content knowledge administered
  at a computer-based assessment center
• The assessment process asks teachers to provide
  evidence of how they meet high and rigorous
  standards

www.nbpts.org
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Classroom Teaching Portfolio

• Shows evidence of teaching practice through
• Student work and knowledge
• Videotapes of classroom interaction
• Written commentaries

1-800-22TEACH
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Assessment Center Exercises

• Focus on subject knowledge in relation to the age
  and content-appropriate teaching strategies used
• Require candidates to complete six different
  exercises

www.nbpts.org
26
NBCTs Support Other Candidates
1-800-22TEACH
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Research Confirms National Board Certification
Recognizes Accomplished Teaching
The University of North Carolina - Greensboro
Validity Study found that

• There are measurable differences between teachers
  certified by the NBPTS and teachers who sought
  but didnt receive certification.
• NBCTs generally outperform their peers in every
  one of 13 generally recognized measures of good
  teaching.
• Work samples from students of NBCTs reflected a
  deeper understanding of the concepts taught
  (compared to students whose teacher had not
  achieved NBC).
• NBCTs are better at understanding why students
  succeed and fail on given academic tasks better
  at improvising when faced with the unexpected
  and better at anticipating difficulties students
  might have with new concepts.

www.nbpts.org
28
How Can National Board Certification Help
Teachers ?
National Board Certification provides

• The highest acknowledgement of accomplished
  teaching
• An opportunity to grow and be challenged as a
  professional
• An opportunity for teachers to affirm that they
  are accomplished teachers

1-800-22TEACH
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How Can National Board Certification Help
Teachers ?
National Board Certification prompted me to be
more analytical of my teaching practice. I know
that this made me a better teacher. -Maria
Telesca, NBCT, Middle Childhood/Generalist,
Illinois
www.nbpts.org
30
How Can National Board Certification Help
Principals ?
National Board Certified Teachers

• Mentor new teachers and help decrease high
  turn-over rates
• Are effective role models
• Lead professional development activities
• Provide a measure of teacher quality that can
  inspire and excite the school community

1-800-22TEACH
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How Can National Board Certification Help
Principals ?
Having someone in your school model effective
teaching is wonderful. National Board
Certification makes teachers more aware of their
teaching style and ability. -Phyllis Brown,
Principal, New York
www.nbpts.org
32
How Can National Board Certification Help
Parents ?

• National Board Certification
• Recognizes the accomplished teaching occurring in
  American schools.
• Stresses communication with the family as a way
  to achieve results in the classroom.
• NBCTs, through their pursuit of National Board
  Certification, demonstrate lifelong learning.

1-800-22TEACH
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How Can National Board Certification Help
Parents ?
All three of my children have benefited from
having a National Board Certified Teacher. The
results were noticeable - my children had better
results in the classroom when the teacher was an
NBCT. -Yvette Slocum, Parent and PTA School
District President, Tupelo, Miss.
www.nbpts.org
34
How Can National Board Certification Help
School Administrators ?
National Board Certification

• Is a way to recognize and reward accomplished
  teaching
• Creates a sense of professional pride among
  faculty
• Strengthens and reinforces professional
  development opportunities within school systems

1-800-22TEACH
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How Can National Board Certification Help
Policy-makers ?
National Board Certification

• Is a way to recognize teacher quality
• Is an asset to education reform efforts
• Is a tangible measure of teacher quality
• Contributes to better schools

www.nbpts.org
36
How Can National Board Certification Help
Policy-makers ?
I have found National Board Certification to be
an excellent way to evaluate what a teacher
should know and should be able to do, and I
highly recommend it to other superintendents. -Dr
. Daniel Curry, Superintendent, Wood County
Schools, W.Va.
1-800-22TEACH
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How Can National Board Certification Help
Business Leaders ?

• Supporting National Board Certification is a
  great way to play a role in improving education
• Improving education better prepares the future
  workforce
• Studies show that NBCTs have a positive impact on
  student learning

www.nbpts.org
38
How to Support National Board Certified Teachers

• Share information about National Board
  Certification with colleagues
• Help local administrators and principals
  understand National Board Certification
• Invite local National Board Certified Teachers to
  share their experiences in workshops, seminars
  and meetings

1-800-22TEACH
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How to Find Out More Information

• Visit NBPTS Web site at www.npbts.org
• Call 1-800-22TEACH and request information about
  National Board Certification
• Ask to speak with a local National Board
  Certified Teacher

www.nbpts.org
40
National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS)

• Visit
• www.nbpts.org

41
National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS)

• CALL
• 1-800-22TEACH

42
National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS)
43
The Box
1-800-22TEACH