Increasing the Ranks of Excellent Teachers? State-Level Policies and the Rate of National Board Certification Among Teachers

Abstract

Elementary and secondary students in America are increasingly outperformed by their international peers, as evidenced by abysmal graduation rates in some of the nation's largest school districts. Research demonstrates that teacher quality is a significant predictor of student achievement and that students of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) perform better on standardized tests than students of non-NBCTs. Understanding National Board Certification (NBC) is becoming ever more important as school reforms target teacher quality as a means to improving student performance. This research aims to understand state policies and incentives that aim to increase NBC rates.Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Education Week, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), and Education Week, this research focuses on two research questions: Do NBC rates vary by state? And, if so, what are the determinants of NBC rates? Specifically, the paper investigates the impact of financial and non-financial supports and incentives outlined in state education department regulations and state laws, which influence the rate of NBCTs in states throughout the U.S. In addition to connecting and expanding upon existing research, the results contribute to the ongoing debate about the role of National Board Certification in school reform and our understanding of policy decision-making processes. We conclude with a discussion of the findings and their relevance for education policy.