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School and District Administrators'
Perspectives on National Board Certification and Leadership
of Teachers
Inverness Research Associates (Inverness, CA) has been
studying the contributions of National Board Certified Teachers
(NBCTs) to Washington's education reform efforts. In late
2003, they interviewed dozens of school administrators for
their views about what contributions, if any, the presence
of NBCTs or candidates for National Board made to their schools
and districts.
Most administrators observe that the National Board certification
process strengthens already strong teachers by involving them
in rigorous reflection and analysis; and that this professional
development experience increases teachers' ability to teach
the full range of students and demonstrate evidence of student
learning. These administrators have become proponents of Board
certification because they have seen firsthand these direct
benefits to student learning.
These administrators also note that teachers who become certified
by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
are often established leaders in their schools. Moreover,
the process of becoming certified can enhance teachers' stature
as effective teachers and thus as potential leaders. Most
of these administrators rely upon and seek out National Board
Certified Teachers as leaders, and recognize that NBCTs play
critical roles in advancing instructional improvement efforts.
They caution, however, that NBCTs are influential as change
agents only when their contributions support school priorities
and when their style of leadership is congruent with the social
practices and norms of their professional communities.
In some districts, NBCTs, working with administrators, have
been able to infuse key elements of the candidacy experience-for
example, reflection on teaching practice and analysis of student
learning-into their district systems of professional development
in order to benefit teachers more broadly. To read the final
report click
here (pdf 395k).
Bringing National Board Standards
to the Preparation and Certification of Teachers at Universities
A primary goal of the Washington Initiative has been
to increase the numbers of National Board certified teachers
in Washington by offering candidates scholarships and systematic
group support. Responsibility for providing candidate support
was given in 2001-02 to the University of Washington and Washington
State University, and in 2002-03 to Pacific Lutheran University
and Eastern Washington State University. Individual Education
faculty members co-facilitated support groups alongside NB certified
teachers. Designers of the Washington Initiative hoped that
universities' participation would contribute positively to candidates'
experience, and would also provide a mechanism by which faculty
members-and by extension their colleagues-could gain deeper
understanding of NBPTS practices and standards. This understanding
could then assist them in reviewing and further developing their
programs for teachers. In particular the designers of the WI
hoped that university participation would enhance university
development of programs for the new Professional Certificate.
Inverness Research Associates conducted a study in 2003-04
for the purpose of documenting the perspectives of participating
faculty members on their experiences with WI candidate support
groups and on the ways in which NBPTS standards and practices
are making a contribution to Education program development
on their campuses. Click
here to read Inverness Research's final results.
Investing in a Teacher Leadership
Infrastructure for Washington Education
The Washington Initiative (WI) was created in 2001 to help strengthen
education reform in Washington. The major strategies of the
WI were to increase the number of National Board Certified Teachers
(NBCTs) and to support the leadership of these teachers in local
education reform.
In 2001 when the WI was created, there were 69 NBCTs in Washington.
The projected total number of NBCTs in Washington at the end
of calendar year 2004 is 600-625. This comprises roughly 1%
of the teaching force. There is substantial evidence-both
statistical and qualitative, and reflecting multiple perspectives-that
National Board Certified Teachers are highly effective in
the classroom. They stand out from many of their peers as
being able to serve the full range of students and to document
their students' learning. By leveraging the professional standards
and certification process of the NBPTS, the WI is contributing
directly to higher quality teaching in Washington.
The WI teacher leadership network functions as a statewide
infrastructure for improving the improvement of teaching and
learning. Through its strategies and the activities of its
members, the network instills local and state reform efforts
with a high standard of professionalism and vision of excellence,
and it strengthens the continuum of teacher development and
preparation. The network also enhances the leadership capacity
and stature of its members, enabling them to continue working
to support improvement in their schools. This infrastructure
is helping on multiple fronts to strengthen the teaching profession
in Washington and thus plays a role in contributing to the
health of the State's education system. To read the final
report click
here (pdf 309k).
The Washington
Initiative for National Board Certification
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