Press Releases

NBPTS Launches Initiative to Close Achievement Gaps in High-Need Schools

July 30, 2008

Arlington, Va. -- At a time when schools across the country are under more pressure than ever to bring all students to high levels of achievement, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has announced a comprehensive initiative designed to increase teacher quality and student achievement in high-need schools.

NBPTS selected local education agencies, higher education institutions and other professional education organizations that would recruit and support teachers pursuing and achieving National Board Certification®. The Targeted High Need Initiative (THNI) will accelerate the development of an infrastructure for National Board Certification in high-need communities and will serve as a model of best practices and cost-effectiveness. The goal of THNI Comprehensive Candidate Support Centers (CCSC) is to improve teaching and learning in high-need schools by:

• Creating sustainable systems of support that link the National Board Certification process to school and district-wide initiatives
• Building a professional learning community focused on NBPTS Standards and the assessment process by encouraging cohorts of teachers to pursue National Board Certification
• Hiring and compensating trained National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) mentors who promote deep, reflective thinking about teaching decisions and methods
• Leveraging the expertise of NBCTs as change agents in education reform, building teacher capacity, as well as improving student learning
• Collecting data on the THNI CCSC Program applicants and on the efficacy of the Program.

“While 41 percent of all NBCTs work in Title I schools, there remains a great need to get more of these highly accomplished teachers into high-need schools,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, NBPTS president and CEO. “THNI is a major initiative of NBPTS to increase the number of NBCTs teaching in high-need schools.”

THNI support centers for 2008 include: Clark County School District (Nevada), Coastal Plains Regional Educational Service Agency, Coppin State University, Greater Capital Region Teacher Center, Jackson State University, Prince George’s County Public Schools (Maryland), the Support Network from the United Teachers Education Foundation, the University of Central Arkansas, Virginia Wesleyan College and the Washington Education Association.

Goals of past THNI programs have included increasing collegiality and standards-based instruction for new and experienced teachers. Activities for program participants have included developing and implementing high quality candidate support activities aligned with local needs and initiatives. Participating candidates have also received teacher practice support through the mentoring provided by trained NBCTs.

National Board Certification: From a Great Idea to a Proven Reform

Today’s announcement comes at a time when the highly respected National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies recently affirmed that NBPTS has had a positive impact on student achievement, teacher retention and professional development.

In the most rigorous and comprehensive study to date about National Board Certification, the NRC found that students taught by National Board Certified Teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than those taught by teachers who have not applied and those who did not achieve certification.

The NRC also found that National Board Certification has a positive impact on teacher retention because National Board Certified Teachers are more likely to stay on the job longer than other teachers. In addition, the committee acknowledged that National Board Certification is an effective professional development experience that, teachers say, positively affects teaching practices.

“Perhaps the most heartening, the NRC acknowledges that NBPTS Standards and National Board Certification have taken the culture of teaching to a higher level,” said Aguerrebere. “The committee recognizes the large-scale, systemic potential of National Board Certification and observes that the National Board’s work needs strong support and coordination by states, districts and schools as well as higher education and other non-governmental institutions.”

There are nearly 64,000 National Board Certified Teachers who have met rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review. All 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 700 local school districts recognize National Board Certification as a mark of distinction, similar to the way the medical and accounting professions recognize expertise.

National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward accomplished teachers. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, NBCTs have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices. Certification is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete.

As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, video recordings and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.