Jana Hunzicker is an assistant professor at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. She served as regional coordinator for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards for Illinois Area III for two years.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was established in 1987. Since then, more than 120,000 teachers across the United States have voluntarily completed requirements for National Board certification, and 63,821 have scored well enough to become National Board certified.
Most teachers who seek the certification describe it as the best professional development they have ever experienced — even if they don't achieve it. Because it provides so many opportunities for professional growth and teacher leadership, National Board certification is too important for Illinois school districts to ignore. Our state's strong support system makes it easy for school districts to support both candidates and National Board certified teachers.
What is it?
National Board certification is a voluntary certification system that recognizes teachers who demonstrate accomplished teaching practice as defined by NBPTS. The certification is offered in 25 different subject areas and developmental levels, such as Middle Childhood Generalist and Science/Early Adolescence. All certificates reflect the Five Core Propositions of the NBPTS, yet each is customized by standards specific to its particular subject area and developmental level.
To achieve the certification, a teacher must demonstrate mastery of the standards through four portfolio entries and a written assessment. Two portfolio entries require videotapes of actual lessons, one requires submission of graded student work and the fourth documents ongoing professional learning and leadership.
Each portfolio entry requires a 12-page written description and analysis of the evidence submitted for review. The four portfolio entries are usually completed over the course of one school year, with the written assessment taken in late spring or early summer.
The entire certification process takes 200 to 400 hours but simply completing the requirements does not guarantee certification. Only about half of the candidates are successful on their first attempt. Fortunately, candidates can "bank" their scores for up to two years, re-submitting portfolio entries and sections of the written assessment that do not meet standards the first time.
In 2007, NBPTS announced an option for teachers interested in "trying out" National Board certification. "Take One!" allows a teacher to complete and submit one portfolio entry, which is scored by NBPTS according to the same standards as full candidates. Take One! participants can "bank" their score for up to three years, giving them a head start in completing the remaining portfolio entries and written assessment should they choose to pursue National Board certification.
Certification in Illinois
Illinois ranks seventh in the nation with 2,482 teachers who are National Board certified. Over the past three years, total numbers of Illinois candidates and National Board certified teachers have steadily increased. Candidates numbered 1,204 in 2006, 1,428 in 2007 and 1,859 in 2008. Similarly, newly certified National Board teachers numbered 315 in 2006, 431 in 2007 and 511 in 2008.
One reason for the increased interest here is that Illinois has one of the best support systems in the country. Its two-prong system pairs the National Board Resource Center at Illinois State University in Normal with the Iroquois/Kankakee Regional Office of Education in Kankakee (I-KAN). The resource center is responsible for candidate recruitment and support, while the regional office processes funds and provides professional development. Both offices employ National Board certified teachers as local and regional coordinators.
The Illinois State Board of Education supports National Board certification by providing generous financial support to both candidates and National Board certified teachers. ISBE pays $2,000 of the $2,565 candidate application fee and pays those who complete the certification up to $6,000 a year to mentor candidates. Moreover, once a teacher earns National Board certification, he or she can apply for an Illinois master teaching certificate and $3,000 annual stipend, payable by ISBE to those teaching pre-K-12 students at least 50 percent of the time.
Recognizing that not all teachers will achieve National Board status on their first attempt, ISBE will pay up to $1,050 for candidates who choose to retake one or more sections of either the portfolio or the written assessment. Similarly, ISBE will pay the $850 fee for teachers renewing their master teaching certificate as well as the $395 registration fee for those pursuing Take One!
What are the benefits?
The benefits of National Board certification are many. As candidates work to complete portfolio entries, they often discover gaps between National Board standards and their teaching practice. This motivates them to modify their teaching, thereby increasing their chance of earning certification. Through this process, considerable teacher learning occurs.
School and district benefits are also notable. A comparison of four years of data in 14 Arizona schools showed that the students in classrooms with National Board certified teachers scored better three-fourths of the time, compared to students in classrooms without a National Board certified teacher. In grade equivalents, gains by students with National Board certified teachers were more than a month greater than with non-certified peer teachers.
Moreover, districts with greater percentages of National Board certified teachers are more likely to use data-based instructional planning, authentic and engaging learning experiences, and ongoing professional reflection. As the number of National Board certified teachers increases statewide and nationwide, these teachers will continue to transform the way teachers think about effective teaching and learning.
Challenges
Although the benefits are many, seeking National Board certification is not always comfortable. In fact, two different studies found many candidates describe their certification experience as extremely challenging and highly stressful.
In Illinois, the greatest challenge is the state's diverse population distribution. Of the 102 counties in the state, 16 have no National Board certified teachers and 27 have two or fewer. While teachers in the Chicago Public School system, the collar counties and the more populated downstate counties benefit from systematic and collaborative candidate support, teachers in rural areas are more isolated from support networks. This is especially true for the southernmost part of the state.
A recent survey shows that Illinois teachers who withdrew from National Board candidacy did so for three reasons: personal responsibilities and issues, lack of time and the absence of quality candidate support. The understanding and support of administrators at both the school and district level is vital to the success of National Board candidates.
Additional benefits
Once teachers achieve National Board certification, benefits to the district can extend beyond the individual classrooms as well. Charlotte Danielson, an educational consultant, describes teacher leaders as those whose first priority is teaching students even though their professional influence extends beyond the classroom.
In Illinois, ISBE funding and the two-prong National Board support system create numerous opportunities for National Board certified teachers to serve as leaders.
One of the most powerful leadership roles is mentoring. Through Illinois' support system, these mentor teachers are trained free of charge to mentor both candidates and new teachers. The state board further supports these mentors by offering a stipend to those who provide 30 to 60 hours of mentoring or professional development within a year. While National Board certified teachers receive an ISBE stipend of $1,000 to $2,000 for mentoring teachers in any school, the stipend increases to $2,000 to $4,000 for mentoring candidates in Academic Early Warning, Academic Watch List and high poverty schools. Those who wish to mentor teachers in both regular and high-need schools can receive $3,000 to $6,000.
This creates a win-win situation: districts receive candidate and new teacher support while the state strengthens its teaching force.
The Illinois support system also provides high-quality professional development opportunities. At no charge to school districts, National Board certified teachers can register for training in Standards Aligned Classroom, Instructional Practices Inventory, or NBCT Induction for the 21st Century Educator.
Because each training focuses on a specific strategy for school improvement, the knowledge and skills National Board certified teachers learn can be brought back to the district and applied in individual classrooms. Again, everyone wins.
Even beyond the Illinois support system, school districts are wise to involve National Board certified teachers as leaders locally as well as at regional, state and national levels. Because they have a deep understanding of accomplished teaching practice, these teachers should be chairing textbook selection committees, serving on school leadership councils and having a voice in hiring new staff. Further, they should represent their districts regionally, statewide and nationally by serving on planning committees, attending professional conferences and making presentations.
National Board certification is too important to ignore. Providing a powerful means of professional development and numerous opportunities for teacher leadership, school districts are wise to recognize its many benefits. Now is the time to get involved.
For more information, visit the following websites:
National Board Resource Center at Illinois State University, http://coe.ilstu.edu/ilnbpts/
Iroquois-Kankakee Regional Office of Education, www.ilnbpts.org
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, www.nbpts.org
References
William L. Boyd and Jillian P. Reese, "Great expectations: The impact of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards," Education Next, 2006
Robert Burroughs, Tammy Schwartz and Martha Hendricks-Lee, "Communities of practice and discourse communities: Negotiating boundaries in NBPTS certification," Teachers College Record, 2000
Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, California Teachers' Perceptions of National Board Certification: Individual Benefits Substantial, System Benefits Yet To Be Realized, Santa Cruz, California, 2002
Charlotte Danielson, Teacher Leadership That Strengthens Professional Practice, ASCD, Alexandria, Virginia, 2006
Dan D. Goldhaber and Emily Anthony, "Can teacher quality be effectively assessed?" 2004
Dan D. Goldhaber, David Perry and Emily Anthony, "NBPTS certification: Who applies and what factors are associated with success?" 2003
Jana Hunzicker, The Leverage of National Board Candidacy: An Exploration of Teacher Learning, Universal Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, 2006
I-KAN Regional Office of Education, "Illinois National Board professional preparation and support system," retrieved November 8, 2008, from http://www.ilnbpts.org/Newsletters/Nov%20NBCT%202008%20Newsletter.pdf
Robert Linquanti and Joan Peterson, "An enormous untapped potential: A study of the feasibility of using National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification to improve low-performing schools," 2001
David Lustick and Gary Sykes, "National Board certification as professional development: What are teachers learning?" Education Policy Analysis Archives, 2006
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, "Largest one-year gain of National Board Certified teachers advances teaching quality movement in the U.S.," press release, December 3, 2007
Iris C. Rotberg, Mary H. Futrell and Anne E. Holmes, "Increasing access to National Board certification," Phi Delta Kappan, 2000
Leslie G. Vandevoort, Audrey Amrein-Beardsley and David C. Berliner, "National Board certified teachers and their students' achievement," Education Policy Analysis Archives, 2004
Dave Wheat, James E. Cramer and Mary Kay Cramer "A standard of support," Principal Leadership, 2000