The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; What? Why? How?

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The


National Board
for
Professional
Teaching
Standards


WHAT?


WHY?


HOW?


AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS



The


National Board


for
Professional


Teaching


Standards


WHAT?
WHY?
HOW?



"We must recruit, support, and retain the
most talented people into teaching."

We must invest in high-quality teacher
preparation and ongoing professional
development.

We must require tougher licensing and
certification standards for teachers,
and increase dramatically the number
of teachers who meet the demanding
standards of the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards."

-u.s. Secretary of Education
Ricltard W. Riley

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I
I
555 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, N.W. SANDRA FELDMAN

WASHINGTON, DC 20001·2079 PRESIDENT

202-879-4400

~AMERICAN

EDWARD J. McElRO'
SECRETARY-TREASURER

.,FEDERATION OF

T~~l}t~

Dear AFT Member:

In 1985, AFT President AI Shanker called for a voluntary national certification
system to recognize outstanding classroom teachers. At that time, there was no broad
consensus ofstandards for excellence in teaching against which experienced teachers
could assess their knowledge and skills and be recognized as accomplished professionals.
But that changed with the establishment ofthe National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards --an organization on whose board AI sat as a founding member and on which I
currently serve.

It is important to remember that National Board Certification is a completely
voluntary assessment ofteaching that involves a rigorous examination ofa teacher's actual
practice in the classroom. And, most significantly, it is an assessment system developed for
and by teachers. Teachers hold the majority ofseats on the NBPTS board ofdirectors and
on the committees that write standards for what accomplished teachers should know and
be able to do. Teachers review and comment on the standards before they are adopted and
they field test the assessment exercises. And, teachers administer and score the
certification exercises.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is unique --it strengthens
the teaching profession as a whole, while it benefits individual teachers. Indeed, many of
our locals have negotiated additional pay, continuing education credit, or "lead teacher"
status for National Board Certified teachers. Such incentives vary from district to district
and state to state. But, even where such rewards are not available, and even ifteachers try
and do not gain certification, they all report that the National Board certification process is
an extraordinary learning experience. Teachers tell us that the NBPTS assessment process
made a profound impact on them, causing them to analyze, reassess, and sometimes
modify their teaching and the way they work with students.

Ifyou are not already familiar with National Board Certification, this booklet will
answer some ofyour questions and tell you how to find more information. I urge you to
take this opportunity to learn more about National Board Certification and make it the
centerpiece in your plans for professional growth.

In solidarity,

~d~

President

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What Is National Board
Certification?

N
N
ational Board Certification is a significant step in professionalizing
teaching, a credential that says a teacher's knowledge, skills,

and accomplishments have been recognized by his or her peers.

Developed by and for classroom teachers, National Board Certification

allows the profession to set high and rigorous standards for itself, create

meaningful performance assessments based on those standards, and iden


tify experienced teachers who meet the standards. .

Unlike state licensing systems, which set entry-level standards for

beginning teachers, National Board Certification establishes advanced

standards for experienced teachers. Where state licensing focuses on

course requirements and varies from state to state, National Board

Certification focuses on knowledge, performance, and professional judg


ment, reflecting nationally recognized standards that were set by teachers.

And National Board Certification-unlike state licensing-is completely

voluntary.

The year-long certification process provides outstanding opportuni


ties for collaboration and reflection as teachers refine and strengthen their

skills on the basis of standards written and reviewed by their peers.

Teachers demonstrate their progress in meeting the standards through an

innovative two-part performance assessment that goes far beyond the

usual checklist evaluation or short-answer test:

School-site portfolio. At their own schools, teachers compile a

portfolio that includes four or five classroom-based exercises-such as

videotaped lessons and samples of student work, together with written

analysis-plus documentation of their accomplishments outside the

classroom with colleagues, parents, and the community.

Assessment center exercise. At assessment centers located

around the country, teachers complete four 90-minute written tasks and

exercises, such as simulated situations or discussions of instructional

issues.

This certification system is operated by the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), an independent, nonprofit
. organization led by a 63-member board of directors, the majority of

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whom are classroom teachers. Teachers have also played the leading role
in developing standards in more than 30 certificate fields, which are
defined by student developmental level and subject areas (see the framework
on page 7 and 8 for a list of the certificate areas). In addition, the
portfolio and assessment center exercises are scored by teachers who have
been specially trained in performance assessment.

To date, 912 teachers have received National Board Certification.
Many of them took advantage of local and state fee supports and incentives
in deciding to stand for certification, and many successful candidates
have received financial bonuses, as well. But regardless of incentives or
rewards, these teachers say they value the opportunity for intense analysis
oftheir teaching and the deep sense ofpersonal and professional achievement
they gain through the National Board Certification process.

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Framework ofNational Board
Certificates

/Early Cltildltood IAges 3-8J

Generalist*

Middle Cltildltood IAges 7-'2J

Generalist*
English Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies-History

/Early and Middle Cltildltood IAges 3-'2J

Art
English as a New Language
Exceptional Needs/Generalist
Foreign Language
Guidance Counseling
LibrarylMedia
Music
Physical Education

/Early Adolescence IAges "-,5J

Generalist*
English Language Arts*
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies-History

Adolescence and Young Adul"'ood IAges '4-'8+J

English Language Arts
Mathematics*
Science**
Social Studies-History


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Early Adolescence tltroug" Young Adultltood

(Ages 11.18+1

AIt*

English as a New Language
Exceptional Needs/Generalist
Foreign Language
Guidance Counseling
Health
LibrarylMedia
Music
Physical Education
Vocational Education

*Certificates are being offered in these six areas during the 1997-98 school year.

**This certificate is under development and may also be offered in the 1997-98

schoolyear.

Who Is Eligible for National Board
Certification?

Most experienced teachers in public or private schools are eligible.
The process is open to you ifyou:

•
have completed a baccalaureate degree;
•
have taught for a minimum of three years at the early childhood,
mentary, middle school, or secondary school level; and
•
have held a valid state teaching license for each of those years.
a license is not required, you must teach in a school that is recoe:nl.ze(
and approved by the state.)

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How Does National Board
Certification Work?


National Board Certification has three components: the standards, the
portfolio, and the assessment center.

I. 'lite standards. If you decide to pursue National Board
Certification, your first step is to study the standards in your chosen certifIcate
area so that you will understand how they might be reflected in
your classroom teaching. All NBPTS standards are based on five "core
propositions" that define the "knowledge, skills, dispositions, and commitments"
that distinguish accomplished teachers:
•
Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
•
Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects
to students.
•
Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learnmg.
• Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from expe,
rience.
•
Teachers are members oflearning communities.
(From the NBPTS policy statement
What Teachers Should Know and Be Able To Do)

Specific standards for each subject area and student age group are

by committees made up ofteachers and subject area specialists,

they are reviewed extensively by teachers and other educators before

adopted. In each certifIcate field, the standards are presented in a

format:

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• A summary statement, which describes specific aspects of a teacher's
practice that have an impact on students.
•
An elaboration, which puts the summary statement in context and
explains the knowledge and skills the teacher needs in order to meet
the standard.
For example, in the Middle Childhood/Generalist Standards, one
summary standard reads: "Accomplished teachers draw on their knowledge
of subject matter and curriculum to make sound decisions about
what is important for students to learn within and across the subject areas
that comprise the middle school curriculum." The elaboration of that
standard describes the curricular knowledge and pedagogical skills
expected of an accomplished teacher in this area, using examples of
actions and attitudes that meet the standard.

National Board standards do not set out anyone best approach to
teaching, however. While they reflect broad professional consensus on
what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, they
acknowledge the complexity and uniqueness of teaching and recognize .
that teachers need to be able to call on a wide range ofteaching strategies
and methods in order to respond appropriately to all students.

You can order copies of the standards from NBPTS. Call 1-800-22TEACH
or visit the NBPTS web site, www.nbpts.org.

2. "'e portfolio. This is your chance to choose evidence
your teaching that shows your understanding of the standards,
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knowledge of your students and your subject area, your ability to make
sound professional judgments about student learning, and your skill in
acting effectively on those judgments .

Portfolios vary for each certificate, but the exercises typically require
evidence of a particular teaching episode and your written reflections
about it. For example, one exercise from the Early Childhood/Generalist
portfolio focuses on a "teaching and learning sequence" that shows how
you "nurture children's growth and learning" as you explore a theme
drawn from the social studies and the arts. The exercise asks you to submit
up to ten pages of written commentary and four supporting work
samples to illustrate a two-to four-week teaching and learning sequence
you have used in your classroom. The sequence must be unified by some
core theme or topic; it must integrate social studies with the arts; and it
must illustrate your efforts to build strong ties with children's families.

Two ofthe work samples or materials you submit must relate to students'
·learning, and two must relate to your evaluation of the success of the
sequence.
Some portfolio exercises call for videotapes of actual lessons in your
f:lassroom. Teachers often find these videotapes challenging. Here's how
teacher described the experience:

"Videotaping myself was sheer agony .... My classroom practices were based
on sound theory-or were they? I didn't know and had no gauge to measure what
I had been doing. The standards to measure my teaching performance were in front
ofme, but I didn't know how to produce the evidence that I had reached those standards.
I had never been asked to analyze my own teaching practices ...."

-Ann Sayas, "To Grow a Teacher,"
Teacher to Teacher, Spring 1996)

But for this teacher and others, the videotape provoked self-analysis
led to professional growth. "I had to look deep inside myself as a proand
understand my own strengths as well as weaknesses," said
teacher about the experience. But working with a colleague who
and critiqued practice tapes helped this teacher gain new perspecon
her lessons and her interactions with students. "I have learned
about myself as a professional during these past months than I have

past eight and a half years that I have taught," she said.

teachers say they spend about 120 hours compiling their portfoaverage
of about one day a week over a semester. And most agree
time is well spent-in fact, many say it is one of the most valu


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able professional development experiences of their lives.
A portfolio sampler, which includes sample portfolio exercises from
six certificate fields, is available from NBPTS.

"On my own, without the extrinsic incentive of the portfolio process, I never
would have been able to be so introspective and reflective about my teaching. I
wouldn't have gone as deep. We use a lot ofportfolio assessment at my school. Now,
I don't mind asking my students to do what I've done-'-to work hard and think
about what they are doing and why."

-Susan Coley
Cleveland Middle School
Albuquerque, New Mexico

3. 'lite assessment center. The final step in the National
Board Certification process is the assessment center, where you will spend
a full day completing additional exercises away from your school.
Exercises are offered for several weeks each summer, and you can reserve
a date, time, and place convenient for you. There are more than 200
assessment centers; at least one in every state.
At the assessment center, you might be asked to plan a lesson around
materials you were sent in advance, or to write a brief essay about an issue
in pedagogy, or to analyze a videotape of another teacher at work, or to
take part in an interview. Where the portfolio gives you a chance to
demonstrate your teaching, these exercises complement the portfolio by
calling on the knowledge, skills, and judgment that undergird your portfolio
performance.

Both the portfolio entries and the assessment center exercises are
scored by classroom teachers· in your field who have received intensive
training in performance assessment. Scoring is based on all of the evidence
you have submitted-videotapes, written commentary, students'
work samples, and responses to the assessment center exercises. Each
entry is scored independendy by several assessors, using agreed-upon
scoring criteria.

4. Results. You'll learn how you did in mid-to late fall, after the
assessors have scored your portfolio and assessment center exercises:
Along with the results, you'll be sent a feedback report, which includes an
overview of the scoring guides, an explanation of how the scores on the
various exercises are weighted, and an actual portfolio entry that received
a score of 3, or pass. The feedback report also includes tips on how you
can extrapolate from this portfolio entry to your own so that you can bet12


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ter understand the score you received.

Ifyou fmd you've done well on some exercises but not well enough on
others to earn National Board Certification, a new policy allows you to
"bank" scores for up to three years. During that three-year period, you
may submit new portfolio entries or retake assessment center exercises
and have a new total score calculated.

How Do I apply'for National Board
Certification?

Applications will be available as ofJune 1, 1998 for the seven certifications
being offered during the 1998-99 year:

•
Early Childhood/Generalist (ages 3-8)
•
Middle Childhood/Generalist (ages 7-12)
•
Early Adolescence/Generalist (ages 11-15)
•
Early Adolescence/English Language Arts (ages 11-15)
•
Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Art (ages 11-18+)
•
Adolescence and Young AdulthoodlMathematics (ages 14-18+)
•
Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science (ages 14-18+)
An additional five certificates are planned to be available December 1,
1998:

•
Early AdolescencelMathematics (ages 11-15)
•
Early Adolescence/Science (ages 11-15)
•
Early Adolescence/Social Studies-History (ages 11-15)
•
Adolescence and Young Adulthood/English Language Arts
(ages 14-18+)
•
Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Social Studies-History
(ages 14-18+)
Applications for these twelve certificates must be postmarked by
December 1, 1998. Portfolio instructions will be sent to you after your
application has been received. For the seven certificates available June 1,
1998, completed portfolios must arrive at the National Board by April 16,
1999. For the five certificates slated to be available December 1, 1998, the

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-_. -,..........,-~ --~T,T-~



anticipated due date for these portfolios is June 4,1999. Because it generally
takes four or five months to complete a portfolio, it's a good idea to
apply early.

For application materials, call1-800-22-TEACH.

Can I Afford National Board
Certification?

The fee for National Board Certification is $2,000, at least $500 of
which is required with your application. As an AFT member, you can
fund this fee through an AFT-JOIN loan, which allows you to set up
affordable payments and take several years to repay the loan. For more
information or to request a loan application, call toll free, Monday
through Friday, 1-888-AFT-JOIN.

In addition, many local school districts, state legislatures, or depart


ments of education, and unions either pay the application fee or offer

incentive grants to help defray the cost. In Minnesota, for example, the

St. Paul School District, in collaboration with the St. Paul Federation of

Teachers, the University of Minnesota, and others, paid the application

fee and provided professional support programs for 20 teachers in 1995


96 and another 20 in 1996-97. In New York, the New York State United

Teachers is offering to pay $1,500, to be awarded in three steps, to 140 of

its Effective Teaching Program instructors who stand for National Board

Certification. And in Ohio, the state legislature appropriated funds to pay

the application fees for up to 400 teachers in the 1996-97 school year.

"It took lots of time to put together the portfolio,
but it was very beneficial. I had never
documented all the things I had done before. My
advice: Keep records of what you've done. /I

-Barbara Walczak,

Lincoln Elementary School, Hammond, Indiana:

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All states and the District of Columbia have the opportunity to participate
in the Candidate Subsidy Program. Under the program, funds
recommended by President Clinton and appropriated· by the U.S.
Congress have been made available to help subsidize the $2,000 candidate
fee for teachers pursuing National Board Certification in 1998-99,
and with continued appropriations, very possibly in 1999-2000 and subsequent
years. Contact your state department of education to determine
what fee supports are available.

To find out more about fee supports and incentives where you live, ask
your local or state union leaders or check the "Where It's Happening"
section of the NBPTS web page (www.nbpts.org).

Why Should I Consider National
Board Certification?

Depending on their local contracts, some teachers receive direct monetary
awards, steps up the salary scale, or recognition as lead or master
teachers as a result of National Board Certification, but most who have
been through the process cite other compelling benefits as well:

Professional development. Unlike the typical one-shot, one-size-fitsall
approach to professional development, the year-long certification
process allows teachers to focus intendy on their own strengths and weaknesses,
leading them to reflect on how their practice meets the profession's
standards for accomplished teaching. Whether they attain certification or
not, almost all candidates find the experience makes them stronger teachers-
and more aware of what works and what doesn't in the classroom.
"The National Board Certification process is definitely one of inquiry,"
said Barbara Winkfield ofSouthfield, Mich. "I examined and reexamined
every aspect of my teaching practice. I reflected and drew upon all the
best practices I'd learned." For most teachers, the experience is a once-ina-
lifetime opportunity.

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"I was almost ready to quit teaching. I thought I knew what should be done in
the classroom, but I needed some validation that my instincts were right. National
Board Certification was a turning point for me-I felt as ifI were corning out of
the closet. I thought I was at the end' of my teaching. career, but National Board
Certification was a new beginning. I don't know where I'll go from here, but I know
there's absolutely no way I can be driven out of the teaching profession now."

-Sandra Richardson
Puesta Del Sol Elementary School
Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Collaboration. Most teachers have litde or no opportunity to share
ideas and information with each other; instead they are, in the words of
one teacher, trapped in a "solitary teaching bubble." Working in teams to
earn certification, teachers can burst that bubble and gain valuable support
from each other and insight into their own performance through
their colleagues' eyes. This collaboration can take many forms. In a North
Carolina school district, for example, candidates for certification gathered
weekly for dinner and discussion at one teacher's home. In a Colorado
district, a mentor group of National Board Certified teachers met regularly
with new candidates to help them work through the process.
Through collaborative arrangements such as these, teachers can work
together to clarify their goals, interpret the standards, provide resources
for each other, and give each other constructive feedback and moral support.


New roles for teachers. Traditionally, the only way to advance in a
teaching career was to leave the classroom. National Board Certification
is beginning to change that by opening the way for new roles for accomplished
teachers. Already, many school districts and states are conferring
"master teacher" or "lead teacher" designation on certified teachers, with
the accompanying salary increments. (See the "Where It's Happening"
section of the NBPTS web site, www.nbpts.org, for a list of rewards and
incentives.) And in some areas, teachers who earn National Board
Certification are playing leadership roles in teacher training, student
assessment, curriculum development, and the evaluation of non-tenured
teachers. Genevieve Gillen, an English teacher at George Washington
Carver Middle School in Miami, is one such teacher .. Gillen is working
with teacher educators at the University of Miami to infuse the university's
teacher education program with NBPTS objectives. "The more that
happens," says Gillen, "the easier it will be for younger teachers to see
National Board Certification as a natural extension of their training, an

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on-going professional growth experience."

Personal accomplishment. National Board Certification requires a con


siderable commitment of time, money, and effort, but like many chal


lenging endeavors, completing it can be very satisfying. Bruce Boehne of

Ramona, Calif, put it this way: "I have a deep feeling of accomplishment

in achieving National Board Certification that can never be taken away.

When I have 'bad' days, the thought that I have something behind me

that shows I really am an accomplished educator is a good feeling to fall

back on, and it always lifts my spirits. The huge amount oftime and effort

spent to accomplish this was definitely worth it."

Changing the culture of the school. Ever since the publication of A

Nation at Risk in 1983, education has been the target of one reform ini


tiative after another. Generally mandated from the top down, these ini


tiatives have largely failed to make any real difference in the way schools

work-or in the results they produce. But by giving teachers the major
role in designing a system that recognizes accomplished teaching, National
Board Certification has put in place a bottom-up reform strategy
. that promises lasting change. "National Board Certification is different
from run-of-the-mill reforms primarily because it will cause teachers like
me to look critically at their own" practice," wrote David Haynes, a
teacher-in-residence at the National Board and a member of the Early
Adolescence/Generalist Standards Committee. "This kind of critical
. reflection is important not only for individual teachers but also for the

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entire educational process in our country."

Other teachers agree. "I cannot ask myself why I do a particular thing
and how I might do it better and then go to a team meeting and not ask
the same questions of my colleagues," said Karen Bean, ofBethel, Maine.
''As I change, those around me are affected. The culture in the school
begins to change; teachers don't do things just because they always have,
but rather they begin to examine what they do."

Recognizing the power of the National Board Certification process,
teacher educators and school administrators are beginning to incorp·orate
the standards into pre-service and in-service programs and beginning to
adopt standards-based performance assessment strategies. But the real
reform starts in the classroom, where teachers like the ones quoted here
are bringing a heightened professionalism to the complex and rewarding
work of teaching and learning.

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Am I ready for National Board
Certification?

Just because you meet the eligibility requirements does not necessarily
mean you're ready for National Board Certification. Only you can
answer that question. A good way to begin is with a careful review of the
standards in your field. For each standard, try to formulate specific
answers to these questions:

• What do I know with respect to this standard?
• What am I able to do with respect to this standard?
• How might I demonstrate proficiency in this standard?
• How could I prove to colleagues that I meet this standard?
Many teachers find it helpful to work through this process with one

or more colleagues, and many also find it helpful to ask for advice and

suggestions from teachers who have earned National Board Certification.

(For a state-by-state list of these teachers, see the "Where It's Happen


ing" section of the NBPTS web site, www.nbpts.org.).

Consider, too, whether this is the right point in your career or the best

time in your personal life to commit yourself to the challenging and time


consuming certification process. You might also want to take into consid


eration whether an organized support system is available to you through

your union, your school district, a local teacher center, or a nearby univer


sity. The presence of even an informal network of supportive colleagues

and mentors can make a real difference in how you approach the certifi.
cation process.

Finally, a.sk yourself honestly whether you are prepared to handle the

possible disappointment ifyou do not earn certification-as well as the

possible resentment of others ifyou do.

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What ifl decide I'm not ready?


Even ifyou decide not to stand for National Board Certification, you
can still take advantage of the professional consensus that resides in the
standards documents. Studying the standards is like entering into an
intensive dialogue with master teachers in your field. The standards
reflect best practices without being prescriptive, capturing the underlying
knowledge, principles, philosophies, assumptions, and expectations that
characterize accomplished practice. Reading the standards alone or discussing
them with colleagues can be a valuable professional development
experience in and of itse1£

Wh~r~ can I get mo~e infor~a~on?

If JOuo like to know more about Nanonal Board Certlficanon, contact:


National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
26555 Evergreen Road, Suite 400
1-800-22-TEACH
Southfield, MI 48076
web site: www.nbpts.org


or

American Federation ofTeachers
Educational Issues Department
555 New Jersey Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20001



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