2009 Class of National Board Certified Teachers Advances Nation's School Reform Movement

December 16, 2009

ARLINGTON, VA – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) continues its progress in advancing the National Board Certification education reform movement with the announcement of nearly 8,900 new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). Today’s announcement brings the total number of accomplished teachers and school counselors certified by NBPTS to more than 82,000. 

An “extraordinary group,” is how U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan referred to this year’s class of National Board Certified Teachers in a September interview with NBPTS. He said teachers who achieved National Board Certification have “demonstrated a commitment to taking their teaching practice and the teaching profession to a different level.”

“The leadership and example they’re setting for the system is phenomenal,” said Duncan, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS). With more than 300 new NBCTs, CPS had more teachers achieving National Board Certification this year than any other school district in the nation.

“What if every child had a chance to be taught by a National Board Certified Teacher?  I think the difference it would make in students’ lives would be extraordinary,” said Duncan. “As we move forward on this turnaround agenda nationally, I would love for National Board Certified Teachers to be at the forefront of that movement.”

“In Chicago Public Schools we also imagined teams of National Board Certified Teachers alongside effective principals in schools that need them most,” said Janet Knupp, founding president and chief executive officer, The Chicago Public Education Fund. “With our new class, we now have more than 60 Chicago public schools – traditional and charter – with 15 percent or more of their faculties National Board certified. These teachers are building cultures of excellence for everyone in their buildings, where adults as much as children aspire to the highest standards.” 

In many schools, districts and states across the nation, National Board Certified Teachers are assuming leadership roles—serving as mentors, facilitating professional development and leading education reform efforts in their districts and states. Several states are capitalizing on the expertise of these outstanding teacher leaders in their “Race to the Top” proposals. They are using accomplished teachers to increase effectiveness and improve school conditions to better meet the academic learning needs of students in targeted high-need schools.
 

“Our focus is expanding from individuals achieving National Board Certification to a systemic movement that changes the culture of classrooms, schools and districts by leveraging National Board Certified Teachers to build human capital, especially in high-need schools,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, president and chief executive officer, NBPTS. “This announcement symbolizes what we’re all about—improving the capacity of professionals in working with all students.”   

The latest numbers providing further evidence that the teaching quality movement is growing include: 
• The number of NBCTs has more than doubled in the past five years (from more than 40,000 in 2004 to more than 82,000 in 2009).
• States with the highest number of teachers achieving National Board Certification in 2009 were: North Carolina (1,509), Washington (1,248), South Carolina (798), Illinois (732) and Florida (651).
• School districts with the highest number of teachers achieving National Board Certification in 2009 were: Chicago Public Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Wake County Schools, the Los Angeles Unified School District and Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
• Fifteen states had at least a 20 percent increase in the number of 2009 NBCTs over the number of teachers who achieved certification in 2008.   
• Nearly 1,700 NBCTs successfully met the standards for the “Profile of Professional Growth” to renew National Board Certification. 

More than half of all NBCTs teach in Title I eligible schools as reported by National Center for Education Statistics.  

“Growing groups of National Board Certified Teachers and leveraging them to build school-based learning communities are critical components many states and districts are already using to turn around low-performing schools,” said Gov. Bob Wise, chair of the NBPTS Board of Directors and former governor of West Virginia. “This whole school reform movement is creating a culture of learning we’re all looking for—one that advances student engagement and achievement, retains the best teachers and improves teacher and school performance.”

In a congressionally mandated report, the National Research Council (NRC) confirmed that National Board Certified Teachers advance student achievement and learning, stay in the classroom longer, support new and struggling teachers, and assume other school-based leadership roles. The NRC acknowledged that students taught by National Board Certified Teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by non-board-certified teachers.
 
National Board Certification is recognized as a model of pay-for-performance and is supported by teachers and administrators nationwide. Many states and local school districts provide salary incentives and cover the cost for teachers who pursue and achieve this advanced teaching credential.
 
A voluntary assessment program designed to develop, recognize and retain accomplished teachers, National Board Certification is achieved through a performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, NBCTs have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices.

National Board Certification for Educational Leaders/Principals

Last week, NBPTS launched the development of National Board Certification for Principals, the first phase of an expanded program, National Board Certification for Educational Leaders, which will also lay the groundwork for a new teacher leader certification. Investments from the nation’s major public, private and philanthropic sectors have contributed to the development of National Board Certification for Educational Leaders. For more information about this initiative, including the Core Propositions, visit www.nbpts.org/principals.

For more information about NBPTS and National Board Certification, visit www.nbpts.org.

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About the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
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, more than 82,000 National Board Certified Teachers are making a positive difference in the lives of students across the nation.

Contact:
James R. Minichello
703.465.2171
jminichello@nbpts.org

Visit the 2009 Certification Day Page