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| National Board Certification INFORMATION BULLETIN December 2004 DOWNLOAD: COMPLETE BULLETIN [146K]The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards was established in 1987 in response to a central recommendation of the Carnegie Commission's report, A Nation Prepared Teachers for the 21st Century. The Board was conceived as an independent, non-governmental body focused on improving student learning by setting clear, high, and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. National Board Certification, developed for teachers by teachers, represents professional acknowledgement of "accomplished" teaching practice meeting the highest standards. Teachers comprise a majority among Board members, and teacher committees develop standards and performance-based assessments for certifying "accomplished practice." A cadre of specially trained teachers rates the performance assessments. Candidates must be experienced teachers (three years minimum) voluntarily seeking recognition for meeting rigorous standards in one of twenty-four areas defined by subject and students' age. A National Board certificate is valid for ten years and is renewable as explained below in Certificate Renewal . Additionally, the National Board standards can serve as a solid base for or a component of professional development resulting in improvements in teaching and learning. In December 2004, the National Board announced the names of 83 teachers in New York achieving National Board Certification. Four-hundred seventy-nine teachers in New York State are currently NBPTS certified. NYSUT advocacy led to the passage of the law providing funds for the NYS Albert Shanker Grant Program, making it possible for teachers to seek National Board certification for little or no cost. This Information Bulletin also contains:
Why Do Teachers Seek National Board Certification? Candidates for National Board Certification often say they were motivated by the challenges presented by the certification process and that they wanted to compare their work to high professional standards developed by their peers across the nation. Attaining National Board Certification requires significant commitments of time and effort, often 200-400 hours outside the classroom, but many teachers say that it was worth the work to achieve the professional and personal rewards. Candidates not attaining certification on the first attempt can "bank" successful component scores and try again. Nearly all candidates cite the merits of rigorous and reflective professional development focused on their own practice in relation to student work. Experienced teachers attaining certification observe that their accomplished practice has been validated and that they are recognized for their achievements in their communities and schools. Teachers also note changes in their professional lives: greater collaboration with their colleagues, interest and respect shown by parents and the enthusiasm their students demonstrate when they take part in the process. Less-senior teachers indicate that National Board certification offers opportunities for them to become recognized as leaders in their profession without leaving the classroom for other jobs in education. Remaining a teacher over the course of a career becomes more attractive. Additionally, a growing number of states and school districts see National Board activity as a sound educational investment and they offer salary supplements, credits toward license renewal, license reciprocity, and new roles in schools to teachers who have achieved National Board Certification or participated in the process. The NBPTS Assessment Process A candidate must successfully complete two components of an assessment process designed to examine teaching competencies, skills, and knowledge in relation to NBPTS standards for a particular subject area for students of specified ages.
Costs
National Board Certificates and standards National Board Certification titles and Developmental Levels for the 2004-2005 school year.
State Licensing/Certification and National Board Certification National Board Certification cannot substitute for meeting New York State teacher certification requirements. National Board Certification represents the achievement of an additional professional credential. By contrast, basic state licensure or certification represents the achievement of entry-level standards permitting a teacher to practice. In New York State , Commissioner's Regulations establish entry level and certificate maintenance requirements for the teaching profession. Funding Sources to Assist Candidate
State Incentives
YSUT continues to advocate for further legislative acknowledgement of National Board certification in the form of annual stipends for NBCT's. Local Incentives An ever-increasing number of school districts in New York State provide financial and other incentives to teachers participating in the National Board Certification process and/or achieving certification. These range from one-time stipends for varying amounts ($500-$5,000) to annual stipends over and above the regular salary for the ten-year life of the certificate. One form of incentive increases an NBCT's salary by one step on the negotiated salary scale. Some provisions require professional services from the NBCT such as coaching or mentoring before the incentive is earned. NYSUT urges locals to negotiate financial incentives encouraging teachers to apply for and achieve National Board Certification. The following NYSUT locals have reported negotiated incentives for NBPTS candidates and NBCTs.
Certificate Renewal National Board Certification is issued for a period of 10 years. A National Board Certified Teacher must complete the National Board Profile of Professional Growth prior to the expiration date of his or her certificate and can only renew certification in the original certificate area. The National Board Certified Teacher may formally begin work on the Profile of Professional Growth as early as year 8 of his or her certification period, pending completion of development and subsequent availability of the Profile of Professional Growth renewal instrument. Effective September 29, 2003, the fee for the renewal of National Board Certification is $1,150.00. Included in the renewal fee is a non-refundable application fee of $300.00 to be paid at the time of application. Renewal target dates are available at www.nbpts.org. Resources National Board for Professional Teaching Standards NYSUT Department of Educational Services 1-800-342-9810 x6040 shorn@nysutmail.org www.nysut.org/nbpts NYS Education Department Office of Teaching American Federation of Teachers www.aft.org AFT/NEA A Candidate's Guide to National Board Certification www.aft.org/edissues/downloads/NBPTS.pdf Education Law § 3004-a.
1. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, the commissioner shall establish the Albert Shanker national board for professional teaching standards certification grant program, to be used by the department to defray any costs incurred by an eligible teacher, as that term is described in subdivision two of this section and his or her sponsoring school district, where such eligible teacher seeks national board certification from the national board for professional teacher standards. 2. As used in this section, "eligible teacher" shall mean a New York State tenured public school teacher who: (a) is currently teaching in New York State ; (b) has graduated from an accredited college or university; and (c) holds a valid New York State teaching certificate. 3. Under the provisions of this section and subject to the filing requirement described in subdivision four of this section, a grant in an amount of up to two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) shall be made available from the Albert Shanker national board for professional teaching standards certification grant program to each eligible teacher to defray the expenses of certification by the national board for professional teaching standards. Such sum may include the direct reimbursement by the department to the eligible teacher's sponsoring school district from the total grant award to cover the cost of hiring a substitute teacher for up to three days or the duration of such eligible teacher's approved leave, whichever is less. 4. The commissioner shall be responsible for promulgating any regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section, including: (a) establishing within the department an application form and filing deadline requirements to be utilized by eligible teachers applying for the Albert Shanker national board for professional teaching standards grant program; (b) establishing a mechanism for processing and approving applications within the department; (c) establishing a mechanism to allocate grant awards to approved eligible teachers; and (d) establishing a mechanism to reimburse sponsoring school districts for up to three days of approved leave as described in subdivision three of this section. 5. An eligible teacher for whom the state pays a participation fee shall be liable for repayment of the grant to the department if such eligible teacher: (a) does not complete the process; or (b) completes the process, but does not teach in a New York State public school for at least one full year after achieving national board for professional teaching standards certification. 6. Repayment of the grant is not required: (a) if the certification process is not completed or if the eligible teacher fails to teach for one full year after completion due to his or her death or disability or some other extenuating circumstances as may be recognized by the board of regents; or (b) if the eligible teacher completes the process but does not achieve certification. Doc45639 |
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