Study Shows National Board Certified Teachers’ Impact Inside and Outside Classroom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 8, 2010
• Click here for the full report: “A Report on the 2008 Survey of National Board Certified Teachers in South Carolina”
ROCK HILL— The results of a study on South Carolina’s National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) affirms the nationally-recognized and rigorous process does impact both students and teachers in South Carolina, as announced today by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA) based at Winthrop University.
CERRA focused its research to determine the impact the National Board Certification process has on teachers’ practices inside and outside the classroom, according to those who have successfully earned the distinguished certification. Existing research concentrates on the impact NBCTs have on student achievement, however many of the studies are criticized for publishing inconclusive results. Despite the debatable research surrounding National Board Certification, student learning and growth are extremely important factors embedded throughout the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ fundamental objectives, and should be essential to any quality educator. Because of the complexity of a study centered primarily on student achievement, CERRA’s study delves into other issues, all of which have some impact on students and their learning. More than 2,100 NBCTs in South Carolina took part in the 17-question survey relating to the following topics: targeted recruitment in high-need schools, teacher retention in the classroom, measures of student growth, systematic thinking about teaching practices, reflection on teaching practices, commitment to teaching, leadership roles, and collaboration in schools and the community.
To better determine how NBCTs feel about working in a high-need school, the survey asked the teachers to identify factors that would most motivate them to teach in such an environment. One in three survey respondents said that a school culture which values teaching and learning would motivate them to teach in a high-need area. One in four said that a highly effective, collaborative principal would encourage a similar move. Just over 31% of the responding teachers chose an additional monetary supplement as a motivating factor, and only 10% indicated that nothing would motivate them to teach in a high-need area. Whether they currently teach in a school with high poverty rates and low test scores or they are willing to do so, NBCTs understand the importance of having an effective, committed teacher in every classroom, particularly those located in high-need areas of the state.
NBCTs who participated in the survey were very clear about their intentions to remain in a South Carolina classroom. One out of every three teachers reported that their desire to remain in a South Carolina classroom had increased greatly since becoming an NBCT. Approximately 30% said that their desire to stay in the classroom somewhat increased and about one-third reported no change, leaving only 5% of teachers who indicated a decrease in their desire to remain in a classroom in the state. In fact, nearly 70% of respondents currently teach in the same school in which they taught when they completed the National Board Certification process. These results add credibility to theories that NBPTS is a legitimate program that keeps effective teachers in the classroom, thus positively impacting student learning and achievement. While the largest number of respondents chose financial incentives as a motivating factor to pursue certification, more than half of the respondents also selected reasons not related to money including a desire to use National Board as a way to affect student performance, examine teaching practices, and engage in high-quality professional development.
Often described by teachers as the best professional development they have ever received, the National Board Certification process teaches the art of being a reflective practitioner. NBCTs learn to concentrate more on formative assessments throughout the school year to demonstrate student progress rather than relying solely on summative assessments conducted at the end of the year that do not allow time for improvement. One NBCT stated, “We have been using state standardized test scores to measure student growth. Now I am developing specific formative assessments for students in every science class in the school, assessing their work, and providing teachers with item analysis and specific data targeting areas where students are weak and need re-teaching.” Through the National Board Certification process, teachers learn to focus on more frequent and authentic measures of what students have learned and to what extent they can apply new knowledge rather than relying on test scores alone.
Outside of the classroom, NBCTs add a great deal to the education community. Survey results indicated a significant increase in level of school and community involvement after teachers successfully completed the certification process. Several NBCTs expressed their sense of responsibility to help other teachers improve their practices based on what they learned from the National Board Certification process. NBCTs also identified collaborative efforts aimed at improving student learning such as reading and literacy initiatives outside the school and involvement in mentoring, tutoring, and coaching programs within the community. NBPTS instills in teachers that being a committed leader in their schools does not stop inside the four walls of a classroom. While many of these teachers were involved in their schools before becoming certified, they maintain a notably stronger commitment to leadership after going through the process.
Currently, there are 6,639 NBCTs employed in South Carolina who are working in schools and districts, and of those 6,436 receive annual salary supplements of $7,500 with the option to renew after 10 years. In addition, most districts provide local incentives ranging anywhere from candidate support to $5,500 salary supplement. All but one of the 85 public school districts, as well as Palmetto Unified and S.C. Public Charter School Districts, employ at least one NBCT. In 2008, NBPTS reported that 42% of the nation’s 82,000 NBCTs were teaching in schools eligible for Title I funding. South Carolina is no different as 42% are currently employed in critical-need schools. Some districts have several hundred NBCTs in their schools, often accounting for more than 20% of their teaching population.
With the unemployment rate up and state revenues down, the current budget process will be as difficult as anyone can remember in recent years. Naturally, the cost-effectiveness of many programs, education-related and otherwise, is being questioned in South Carolina and throughout the country. CERRA’s report describes the value of one particular program, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, through the written and spoken words of teachers who have successfully gone through the process and are now using what they have learned in their classrooms. It demonstrates the importance of National Board Certification beyond test scores and provides powerful evidence of professional growth.
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