Certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
UPDATE
The governor approved an NBPTS program as part of the
1998 budget adjustment bill. His 1999-2001 budget expands the program
by awarding individuals $2,000 towards the cost of the certification
and a $2,500 bonus for every year a teacher is nationally certified
Background:
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is an
independent, nonprofit, non-partisan organization governed by a 63-member
board of directors. Most of the directors are classroom teachers. The
others are school administrators, school board leaders, governors and
state legislators, higher education officials, teacher union representatives,
and business and community leaders.
The NBPTS mission is to establish rigorous standards for what accomplished
teachers should know and be able to do, to develop and operate a national,
voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet these standards,
and to advance related education reforms for the purpose of improving
student learning in American schools.
The goal of the NBPTS is to improve student learning by strengthening
teaching. Until recently, the teaching profession had never defined
the knowledge, skills and accomplishments that add up to teaching excellence.
In contrast, physicians, architects and other professionals work under
clear and objective standards for accomplished practice and must demonstrate
their accomplishments on challenging sets of assessments.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards reliably identifies
teachers who meet high and rigorous standards and communicates what
accomplished teaching looks like.
The NBPTS currently offers certification in seven categories. These
seven certificates reach about half of the nation’s teaching population
and range from early childhood/generalist age 3-8 to adolescence and
young adulthood/ mathematics or science age 14-18. An additional five
certificates are under development and will be available December 1,
1998.
Candidates for certification participate in a two-part assessment based
on the standards and reflecting varied aspects of teaching. This process
includes creating a portfolio as well as participating in assessment
exercises taken at a NBPTS center.
The portfolio is about a teacher’s classroom environment and includes
student work, video tapes and other teaching exhibits.
The assessment center exercises are designed to complement the portfolio
and are organized around challenging teaching issues.
During the assessment center phase, teachers demonstrate knowledge,
skills and abilities in situations across the age range and topics of
the certificate field.
Work for NBPTS certification takes the better part of an entire school
year. Teachers report spending about 120 hours on the assessment process.
Legislative History:
WEAC has pursued state support for NBPTS certification as a key part
of its legislative agenda for more than two years.
The governor’s 1998 budget adjustment bill contains language to
establish a state grant to help individual teachers pay for the certification
process. The bill also gives a one-time salary bonus of $3,000 to any
teacher who achieves NBPTS certification.
Senator Peggy Rosenzweig (R-Wauwatosa) introduced 1997 Senate Bill
493 in response to a WEAC request. The bill provides that:
- DPI may award up to 20 grants in the 1998-99 school year for teachers
seeking NBPTS certification;
- Each grant award shall be $2,000 in the year the teacher successfully
achieves NBPTS certification; and
- An additional salary benefit of $2,500 shall be awarded for eight
years thereafter, covering the remainder of the NBPTS certification.
Senate Bill 493 was recommended for passage by the Senate Education
Committee on March 19, 1998. The bill was referred to the Joint Finance
Committee where no further action was taken.
WEAC/WFT Position:
The Wisconsin Education Association Council supports expanding opportunities
for teachers to acquire NBPTS certification.
Talking Points:
- The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards works to
strengthen the teaching profession and to improve student learning
in America's schools.
- The NBPTS is establishing high standards for what accomplished
teachers should know and be able to do, and is developing a new system
of advanced, voluntary certification for teachers. The aim of the
NBPTS is to certify all teachers who meet the standards.
- The NBPTS has received support from organizations such as the American
Association of School Administrators, the National School Boards Association,
the Association of Colleges and Schools of Education in State Universities
and Land Grant Colleges, the American Federation of Teachers and the
National Education Association.
For Additional Information:
Contact Bob Burke in the WEAC Government Relations Division at 800-362-
8034 ext. 254 or by e-mail at burkeb@weac.org with any questions, comments
or reactions.