Examining Teachers' Instructional Practices as They Progress Through the National Board Certification Process

Abstract

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards provides national certification to teachers who apply for and meet the Board's standards of performance for “accomplished” educators. The authors conducted a longitudinal analysis of classroom observations of high school teachers in science and mathematics in Kentucky and Chicago, comparing a sample of National Board Certification (NBC) applicants and similar teachers not pursuing this certification. Observations were conducted at baseline and in two subsequent semesters. The Leadership by Design classroom observation instrument was used to assess instruction, and teachers were rated on nine different dimensions of instruction and overall instructional quality. The findings indicate that the ratings of the instructional practices of NBC applicants exceeded those of non-applicants at baseline on six of the nine teaching quality subscales, as well as the overall rating of instructional quality. However, there was little evidence of growth in instructional quality over time for either applicants or non-applicants.