Press Releases

More than 130 Teachers of English as a New Language Achieve National Board Certification

March 25, 2009

ARLINGTON, VA – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has announced that more than 130 teachers of English as a New Language recently achieved National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession. The 2008 achievement brings the total number of teachers who earned certification in this field over time to more than 900. 

This announcement comes several months after the National Research Council affirmed that National Board Certification 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 students taught by teachers who have not applied and those who did not achieve certification.

“National Board Certification is a sound investment ? a force in student achievement and a factor in teaching excellence that is reshaping teaching and learning in our schools,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, president and chief executive officer of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. “Today’s English as a New Language teacher creates supportive learning environments which value and build on the diverse academic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds of his or her students. Our new class of National Board Certified Teachers in this discipline will ultimately result in strengthening educator effectiveness and advancing student learning.”

In December 2008, NBPTS announced that a record 9,600 teachers nationwide achieved National Board Certification, a 12 percent increase over the number of teachers earning certification in 2007. This achievement brings to the total number of NBCTs to nearly 74,000.

“The more than 900 teachers who achieved National Board Certification in the field of English as a New Language bring a unique set of academic skills into today’s K-12 classrooms, and TESOL congratulates them,” said Charles S. Amorosino, Jr., executive director of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. “The influence of these outstanding teachers reaches beyond the school community and into the general community and society. I hope to see more teachers in the field pursue and achieve certification in 2009.”

States with the highest number of English as a New Language teachers achieving National Board Certification in 2008 were North Carolina, 27; California, 16; Washington, 14; Florida, 13; Illinois, 10 and Maryland, 10.  

The following provides further evidence that the teaching quality movement is growing: 

  • The number of NBCTs has more than doubled in the past five years (from more than 32,000 in 2003 to nearly 74,000 in 2008).
  • States with the highest number of teachers achieving National Board Certification in 2008 were Florida, 1,826; North Carolina, 1,453; Washington, 918; South Carolina, 754; and Illinois, 703.
  • Sixteen states and the District of Columbia had at least a 20 percent increase in the number of 2008 NBCTs over the number of teachers who achieved certification in 2007.   
  • NBCTs make up at least five percent of the total teaching force in seven states. They are North Carolina, 15 percent; South Carolina, 13.7 percent; Mississippi, 9.4 percent; Florida, 7.8 percent; Oklahoma, 5.7 percent; Delaware, 5.5 percent; and Washington, 5.3 percent.

NBPTS is also moving forward with a new initiative to develop advanced certification for educational leaders. The plan calls for rolling out the new principal certification in 2011. “An effective principal is critical to the success of any school. Research has shown that principals have a tremendous impact on school-related factors in their effect on student achievement,” said Aguerrebere.

National Board Certification is a widely respected model of pay-for-performance and is supported by teachers and administrators nationwide. More than two-thirds of the states provide salary incentives and cover the cost for teachers who pursue and achieve this advanced credential.

For more information about NBPTS and National Board Certification, visit the NBPTS Web site at www.nbpts.org.

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NBPTS is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization. NBPTS advances the quality of teaching and learning by developing professional standards for accomplished teaching; creating and administering National Board Certification, a voluntary system to certify teachers who meet those standards; and integrating certified teachers into educational reform efforts. Today, nearly 74,000 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) are making a positive difference in the lives of students across the nation.

© 2009 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. All rights reserved. NBPTS, NBCT, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Board Certified Teacher and National Board Certification 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.

Contact:
James R. Minichello
703-465-2171
jminichello@nbpts.org