The Many Faces of Accomplished Teaching Reflect the Diversity of National Board Certified Teachers
• Rhonda, an African American, teaches at a charter school in a rural area in North Carolina. • Maya, hearing impaired, uses sign language to communicate with her exceptional-needs students in a diverse high school in a Washington, D.C., suburb. • Michael, of Hispanic origin, teaches kindergarten in a Title I school in downtown Los Angeles. • Naomi, of mixed-Pacific Island heritage (Japanese/Filipino), was born and raised in Hawaii and has been teaching in Oklahoma for the past 25 years. These teachers—National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs)— reflect the many faces of accomplished teaching and the diversity of the students they serve.
“I am a National Board Certified Teacher” is a call to action for accomplished teachers. Become a candidate for National Board Certification and join a community of diverse teachers across the nation meeting the challenges and opportunities of classroom teaching and school leadership. • Eligibility. If you are a veteran teacher—licensed and in the classroom for three or more years—you are eligible to become a candidate for National Board Certification. • The process. The 10-part assessment requires you to provide a video portfolio of your classroom work and to demonstrate that your classroom practice and content knowledge meets the National Board Standards in one of 25 subject areas/developmental levels. • Candidate support. Through the NBPTS Web site, a network of Candidate Support Providers and other resources, NBPTS works to ensure that candidates are never alone as they go through the National Board Certification process. • Financial assistance. Financial support is often available to pay a portion of the assessment fee through the NBPTS Scholarship Program; federal, state and local support; and other programs.
What the National Board Certification process offers you… • Standards-based professional growth–based on your classroom practice with your own students. • Validation that you are an effective educator–in taking on the challenges of standards and an assessment process designed for accomplished teachers. • Recognition as a knowledgeable expert and leader–in your school, district, state and beyond. • Higher salary potential and license portability–offered by many states and districts.
What you can offer as a National Board Certified Teacher… • Help for your students–in finding relevance and engagement in learning through your own reflections and other strategies learned through the National Board Certification process. • Service to your school and colleagues–as a leader and mentor to new National Board candidates as well as others in your school. • An opportunity to represent the “voice” and expertise of accomplished teaching–in your community and elsewhere for the betterment of all students.
Increasing the Diversity and Impact of Accomplished Teachers The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the organization that developed and administers the National Board Certification process, is committed to the inclusion of all teachers and to increasing a diverse teaching force to meet the challenges of today’s classroom. • The number of NBCTs of color continues to rise. Since 2005, the total number of NBCTs of color has more than doubled.* • NBPTS is committed to increasing—the diversity of the teaching population (16 percent racial/ethnic). For example, 13 percent* of the 2010 class of NBCTs was of color. (11 percent of all NBCTs*) • Research documents that NBCTs are effectively serving racially and ethnically diverse students. Students of NBCTs, particularly minority students, scored 7-15 percentage points higher on year-end tests (Goldhaber & Anthony, 2004). Math NBCTs helped their 9th and 10th grade students achieve larger testing gains—with particular benefits among African American and Hispanic students (Cavalluzzo, 2004). • NBCTs teach in high-need schools. Half of all NBCTs teach in Title I eligible schools—many located in underrepresented communities (as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics). • NBPTS is committed to serving candidates with disabilities by complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 regulations governing both facilities and administration of the assessment. *Of those who reported their ethnicity. Note: In 2010, 8 percent did not report.
The National Boardʼs Commitment to Access and Equity… We, at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, are committed to ensuring that every student has access to a National Board Certified Teacher— either directly in the classroom or through the leadership and mentoring of other teachers in their schools. • We recruit in local districts through targeted efforts focused on diversity. Our DREAM (Direct Recruiting Efforts to Attract Minorities) Team program deploys a cadre of NBCTs of color who serve as leaders in increasing the number and diversity of teachers pursuing National Board Certification and Take One!. • We build and support a pipeline of teachers in underrepresented communities. Our Targeted High Need Initiative (THNI) program recruits and supports candidates serving in high-need schools—many located in underrepresented communities. THNI supports the development of Comprehensive Candidate Support Centers, cohorts of teachers participating in Take One!, and the offering of the NBPTS foundation of candidate support. THNI has been expanded to include Take One!, which stimulates the development of learning communities organized around professional teaching standards. • We work with higher education institutions. Our collaborations with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities and other higher-education institutions ensure access and support for teachers interested in National Board Certification candidacy. • We collaborate with national and local organizations. Our work with national and local organizations includes, but is not limited to, the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, National Alliance of Black School Educators, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and National Indian Education Association (NIEA) in advancing diversity in areas of teacher preparation, teacher recruitment and candidate support.
Every day, accomplished teachers from diverse racial/ethnic and cultural backgrounds are changing the lives of learners in classrooms across the nation.
Join Us!
What NBCTs are saying about the National Board Certification Process “It was very intimidating for me going for National Board Certification because English is not my first language, and I’m always conscious of the way I speak….Certification reaffirmed that I teach with all my heart. The process took away some of the self-doubts that I had.” — Lien Le, NBCT “As an African American, I think being National Board certified is wanting to be the best teacher you can be. It’s you looking at yourself when you go through that process and trying to see the areas you can improve. I was one of those students who didn’t get it, and so I frame my lessons differently since becoming National Board certified. It’s because the students need that.” — David Robinson, NBCT “As minorities, we need to lead the charge for the students in our classroom, not only now, but in the future. Children should know that being a National Board Certified Teacher is something they could pursue. I wanted to lead them in that capacity and show them we can do this together.”— Rebecca Palacios, NBCT “As a native of West Africa, I consider my students equally capable in the learning process, but they meet their academic needs in a differentiated mode. The NBPTS principle of ‘knowledge of students’ has been one of the most useful aspects of National Board Certification for me, because it affords me the opportunity to become deeply familiar with my African American students.” — Ruth D. Mathis-Wisseh, NBCT
Still thinking about National Board candidacy? Consider Take One!
a
TranSformS a SchooL InTo profeSSIonaL LearnIng communITy
Take One! is offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. It provides a standards-
based approach for improving teaching practice and links student learning to effective instruction. School-wide participation stimulates development of learning communities organized around professional teaching standards. The program can be used as stand-alone professional development for any educator and by licensed teachers as an initial step in becoming candidates for National Board Certification. Teachers prepare and submit one pre-selected video portfolio entry from any of the current 25 certificate areas of National Board Certification. A teacher can later transfer the score if he or she pursues National Board candidacy within two years.
ImprovIng TeachIng pracTIce
and
STudenT LearnIng
Take One! is built on the strong research base of National Board Certification, which the National Research Council recognizes as having a positive impact on student achievement and teacher retention. Take One!
l
Helps teachers adapt their teaching to fit individual students.
l
Provides teachers with the opportunity to plan and reflect on their classroom instructional practices within the context of national teaching standards.
l
Offers educators throughout a school or district the opportunity to form professional learning communities.
offerIng profeSSIonaL deveLopmenT
for an
Take One! is professional development based on the National Board process. Take One! provides a proven framework for school improvement through job-embedded, integrated and collaborative K-12 professional development that advances student learning and achievement.
enTIre facuLTy
For educators at all levels, Take One! offers a component of National Board Certification to individual teachers and entire school faculties. Participants prepare and submit one pre-selected video portfolio entry from any of the 25 current certificate areas of National Board Certification. An eligible teacher can later transfer the score if he or she pursues National Board candidacy. School-wide participation, involving both teachers and administrators, stimulates development of learning communities based on professional teaching standards. Take One! is available to all teachers as well as induction or pre-service teachers, principals, administrators
and professors in colleges of education. The only requirement is that educators have access to a preK–12 classroom to complete the portfolio entry. Since Take One! is job-embedded, it can be adapted to individual teaching practices and classroom plans. The program’s impact is demonstrated when a group of teachers and other faculty members in a school work together on Take One!. While each educator works within his or her specialty area, the common experience fosters a professional learning community focused on student achievement and learning.
n aTIonaL B oard
for
p rofeSSIonaL T eachIng S TandardS
1525 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500 | Arlington, VA 22209 www.nbpts.org | 1-800-22TEACH
© 2009 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. All rights reserved. Take One!, NBPTS, NBCT, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Board Certified Teacher, 1-800-22TEACH and National Board Certification are registered service marks or trademarks of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective organizations.
For more information on becoming a candidate for National Board Certification or about participating in Take One!, visit the NBPTS Web site at www.nbpts.org or call 1-800-22TEACH.
Š 2011 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. All rights reserved. NBPTS, NBCT, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Board Certified Teacher, National Board Certification, Take One!, Accomplished Teacher and 1-800-22TEACH are registered trademarks or service marks of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective organizations. The contents of this publication were developed in whole or in part under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
NBPTS
ÂŽ
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
National Office 1525 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22209 www.nbpts.org | 1-800-22TEACH January 2011