Issue Paper Presentation National Board Certification

1. Issue Paper PresentationNational Board Certification Kristine Lara, Chris Martinez, Amy Peterman

2. Teacher Effectiveness - Pros Pros: The National Research Council conducted a study in 2008 of the effectiveness of NBCT’s. The study concluded that National Board Certification was “an effective way to identify highly skilled teachers.” • Reflective Process • Differentiation • Teaching methods and learning styles • Student Achievement

3. Teacher Effectiveness - Cons “No studies have shown National Board certified teachers are any better than other teachers at raising student achievement.”(Defrocking the National Board, 2001) According to the SVE Foundation, “some research indicates that students of National Board certified teachers do not demonstrate significantly better performance in comparison with students of non-certified teachers.”

4. Money and Time - Pros • Many states and school districts have offered financial bonuses for teachers who receive National Board Certification. • Grants and financial support are available through different educator associations such as NEA (National Education Association) and PAGE (Professional Association of Georgia Educators). • Board certification is now a part of some graduate programs.

5. Money and Time - Cons • According to the article “Great Expectations the fee for certification is $2,300 and can “take the better part of a school year and involve a total of 200-400 hours of work.” • Certification also has to be renewed every ten years. • “Only about 50% of candidates are successful in their first effort at certification.” (Boyd, W. & Reese, J., 2006)

6. Career Opportunities - Pros • Leadership opportunities • Mentorships • Staff development

7. Minority Applicants – Con • According to an SVE Foundation article it states, “Although African American and Hispanic teachers enter the National Board Certification candidacy pool in numbers proportional to their representation in the U.S. teaching force, they earn certification at much lower rates (Wayne, Chang-Ross, Daniels, Knowles, Mitchell, & Price, 2004).

8. Minority Applicants – Con • In the same article it is noted that the majority of National Board certified teachers do not end up working in high-need schools where they may be needed most. Therefore, teachers who become Nationally Board Certified do not work in schools where we are trying to close the achievement gap.

9. Weighing the Pros and Cons When trying to determine where I stand on the issue, several questions come to mind? • Is becoming NBCT the most cost effective way to improve teaching? 2. Is the cost, both in time spent and money, worth it? • Is becoming NBCT the best to increase opportunities for career growth?

10. Teacher Effectiveness • According to a study conducted by the National Research Council of Academies, students of board-certified teachers outperform students of non-certified teachers on achievement tests. The positive effect is even greater for minority students. (Exstrom 8) • A study conducted for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards showed no significant difference between the achievement of students taught by NCBTs versus non-NCBTs. (McColske and Stronge 20)

11. Money • The state of Virginia offers an initial award of $5,000 to be issued to teachers who meet the eligibility criteria and have achieved National Board Certification. Also, eligible teachers receive an additional $2,500 annually for the life of the active certificate to teachers who meet eligibility criteria. (VDOE) • In the state of Georgia, House Bill 243 stipulates that salary increases for existing National Board Certified Teachers are subject to appropriations from the General Assembly. Unfortunately, for the current school year, funds for salary increases have not been appropriated. (Georgia Code 20-2-212.2)

12. Career Opportunities • Certification provides routes for NBCTs to advance as master teachers, school leaders, and mentors without leaving the classroom. Should you choose to leave the classroom, the NBCT credential opens doors to positions in school and district administration, curriculum development, mentoring and staff development, and higher education, among others. • Pursuing a certification or degree in Leadership and Supervision opens up doors for career advancement as well. Being NBCT is some divisions does not qualify you to become an administrator.

13. Bottom Line • There are quality arguments for both sides of the issue. • There is quality teaching being done by both NBCTs and non-NBCTs. • As an administrator, what would you want from your teachers? • The arguments balance themselves out, therefore I remain neutral.