Board Certified Teachers Research Articles

All Dressed Up With No Place to Go? National Board Certification and Teacher Leadership

Purpose: Teacher leadership distinguishes, implicitly or explicitly, among teachers based on their expertise, but the notion of teaching expertise is contested, even among educators. Despite the potential for expert teachers to positively influence their colleagues’ practices, we know little about the supports and obstacles to expert teacher leadership. This study examines the ways that the leadership of a particular group of expert teachers—National-Board-certified teachers—is understood and enacted in schools. Methods: Survey data from staff in six elementary schools were used to analyze Board-certified teachers’ centrality in their schools’ work-related social networks. Survey results were used to select 26 participants for semistructured interviews focused on their understandings of the relationships between teaching expertise, Board certification, and leadership, which were analyzed using alternating rounds of open and closed coding. Findings: Board-certified teachers were more central to their schools’ networks than non-Board-certified teachers, although Board-certified teachers interacted with one another more than with non-Board-certified teachers. Board-certified teachers were seen as having expanded influence beyond their classrooms, which some saw as supporting their leadership, but others saw as disconnected from, or even undermining, their leadership. Implications for Research and Practice: Teacher leadership requires a supporting infrastructure in the form of leadership positions, routines, and tools that align with leaders’ expertise. Developing a shared understanding of teaching expertise is key to Board-certified teacher leadership, as well as other teacher leadership efforts.

Relationship of Self-Efficacy and Technological, Pedagogical, Content Area Knowledge (TPACK) of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs)

Elementary through twelve grade (K-12) teacher knowledge has changed significantly over the past 100 years. The pendulum has swung from focusing mainly on content-area knowledge to mainly on pedagogical strategies (Shulman, 1987). This dichotomy between these two distinct knowledge constructs influenced Shulman’s (1986) research on pedagogical content-area knowledge (PCK). Shulman’s PCK framework describes the intersection of both pedagogy and content area knowledge as a unique knowledge to the teaching profession. At the same time PCK was established, the Carnegie Forum on Education and Economy recommended creating a National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to demonstrate Shulman’s PCK framework. Furthermore, these new standards embraced Mezirow’s (1991) transformative learning theory. They predicted that the 21st-century teacher would “not come to the school knowing all they have to know but knowing how to figure out what they need to know” (Carnegie Task Force, 1986, p. 25). Consequently, it was determined that what the 21st-century teacher needed to know was technology integration (Gentry et al., 2014; Ismaeel & Al Mulhim, 2022).

Workplace experiences of physical educators with and without National Board Certification

Physical educators tend to be perceived as teachers of a non-core, ancillary subject, meaning that they often contend with marginalization. In previous research, physical education National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) reported enhanced self-efficacy and confidence in their teaching with reduced feelings of marginality. Nevertheless, direct comparisons between the perceived workplace experiences of physical education NBCTs and non-NBCTs have not yet been made. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the workplace experiences of physical education NBCTs and non-NBCTs while accounting for teaching level. A recruitment email was sent to 500 physical education NBCTs and 420 physical education non-NBCTs. Using a case–control design, 74 NBCTs were selected and matched with 74 non-NBCTs. A 2 × 2 factorial MANCOVA test, a univariate ANCOVA test, and an independent-samples t-test were used in data analysis. Results indicated that the main effect for NBCT status was significant. Specifically, NBCTs felt less isolated than their non-NBCTs counterparts. NBCTs generally perceived that they mattered more than non-NBCTs, especially at the secondary level. Additionally, teachers with NBCT certification reported higher levels of role conflict and role overload than those participants without NBCT status. This study highlights important connections between NBCT status and teachers’ workplace experiences that both relate to and extend previous research. Future scholars should consider seeking to understand the mechanisms that underlie reported differences between NBCTs and non-NBCTs.

Teaching the Teachers With Milestones: Using the ACGME Milestones Model for Professional Development.

Teaching the Teachers With Milestones: Using the ACGME Milestones Model for Professional Development.

How is the Concentration of National Board Certified Teachers Related to Student Achievement and Teacher Retention?

Background Prior research shows that teachers’ working conditions are important for teacher and student outcomes, such as teacher retention and student achievement. Because National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) can be effective in the classroom and as instructional leaders, they are well positioned to create favorable working conditions for all teachers. Therefore, having NBCTs at a school could strengthen working conditions in ways that result in improved teacher and student outcomes. For positive outcomes to be realized, however, the concentration of NBCTs at a school may need to increase. No empirical study has directly examined the relationship between the concentration of NBCTs at the school level, and teacher and student outcomes—a gap in knowledge that the current study begins to address. Purpose The study examines the relationship between the concentration of NBCTs at a school, operationalized as the proportion of NBCTs in teaching roles relative to all teachers, and student achievement in mathematics and English language arts in Grades 4–8 and teacher retention in Grades K–8. The outcome of teacher retention is for non-NBCTs. Therefore, it represents a spillover effect of NBCTs. Setting The study was conducted in North Carolina and Kentucky. Research Design The study is correlational. Data Collection and Analysis The study's data include statewide administrative records from North Carolina and Kentucky for 2014–15. Multilevel models are used to analyze outcomes, after controlling for prior year teacher, student, and school characteristics. Findings The evidence of the relationship between the concentration of NBCTs at a school and student achievement is not compelling: We found some statistically significant relationships in both states, but the estimates are inconsistent and small in statistical and practical terms. The direct relationship between the concentration of NBCTs and retention of non-NBCTs is not significant in either state. However, the concentration of NBCTs is positively and significantly associated with the retention of non-NBCTs at schools serving a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students in North Carolina compared with schools serving a low proportion of economically disadvantaged students. The estimate of this relationship is the strongest in the current study. The relationship in Kentucky is not significant. Conclusions/Recommendations The pattern of results for teacher retention in North Carolina in the current study is encouraging. It suggests that increasing the concentration of NBCTs may be one possible avenue for keeping teachers teaching at the same schools, including schools serving a large proportion of economically disadvantaged students where teacher turnover tends to be high, negatively affecting teachers and students. Overall, we conclude that the study's findings are sufficiently compelling to warrant additional research to examine NBCT concentration using multiple years of data and with more rigor than the current study could do.

Curricular Contradictions: Negotiating Between Pursuing National Board Certification and an Urban District’s Direct Instruction Mandate

In this article, Travis J. Bristol and Joy Esboldt examine the supports and constraints teachers at one midsized urban school serving predominately Latinx students encountered during school-based professional development aligned with becoming a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). Research has established that Black and Latinx students have less access to NBCTs when compared to White students, yet few studies offer insight into the organizational conditions that influence urban school teachers’ capacity to earn certification. Drawing on two years of ethnographic observations, interviews, and artifact analysis, this study finds that district and school-based factors constrained teachers’ capacity to earn National Board Certification, reporting that participants believed there was a misalignment between the district’s vision for instructional improvement, which focused on Direct Instruction, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

US voluntary advanced teacher certification: towards the Dakar notion of EFA

ABSTRACT In the year 2000, the World Education Forum developed the Dakar Framework, outlining strategies for the achievement of universal education. Among these strategies was to ‘Enhance the status, morale, and professionalism of teachers.’ Further, the 2014 Education for All (EFA) report indicated the necessity of ‘investing in teachers.’ The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a US-developed program, seems to meet these expectations through voluntary advanced certification. Policymakers later established completion incentives for National Board Certification (NBC). The purpose of this study was to describe National Board Certified Teachers and determine critical incentives for completion of NBC. Regression analysis indicated salary incentives are predictive of completion, explaining 20% of the variance. Overall, these results indicated that salary incentives have potential to be a compelling extrinsic incentive for voluntary professional development programs. Further, these findings suggest that similar programs within other nation-states may have comparable success through these incentive types.

National Board Certification and Teacher Effectiveness: Evidence From Washington State

ABSTRACTWe study the effectiveness of teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in Washington State, which has one of the largest populations of National Board-Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in the nation. Based on value-added models in math and reading, we find that NBPTS-certified teachers are about 0.01–0.05 student standard deviations more effective than non-NBCTS with similar levels of experience. Certification effects vary by subject, grade level, and certification type, with greater effects for middle school math certificates. We find mixed evidence that teachers who pass the assessment are more effective than those who fail, but that the underlying NBPTS assessment score predicts student achievement.

Impact on student learning: National Board Certified Teachers’ perspectives

The purpose of this study is to report National Board Certified Teachers’ (NBCTs) perceived impact on student learning. The guiding research question for this study, “How do teachers perceive the influence of the National Board Certification process on student learning in their own classrooms?” was explored. A total of 496 NBCTs currently teaching in North Carolina public schools completed the survey questionnaire in which they responded to demographic questions, Likert item questions, and open-ended questions. More than 80% of the study’s participants reported the certification process had positively influenced student learning in their classrooms. Thematic analysis revealed several reoccurring themes that NBCTs reported having impact on student learning in their classrooms. These included impact on academic achievement, improved teaching, and/or an increase of effective evaluation and assessment strategies.

The Editor’s Note: Every teacher highly qualified

The focus on high-quality teaching, which was promoted in NCLB, should continue in the era of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Federal legislation aside, states, local districts, and universities can take steps to ensure that high-quality teaching still occurs in U.S. classrooms. To begin, the U.S. should develop a system to identify students as early as middle school who have the potential to be teachers. In college, these students should do lots of practice teaching, always under the watchful eye of a master teacher. Every teacher would be required to become a National Board Certified Teacher before they are granted tenure. All teachers should work a full year. In sum, the U.S. should develop a system that does not promote stars but one that ensures every teacher is able to teach to his or her potential and that every teacher delivers the high-quality education that every child deserves.

Accomplished Teaching, Learning and Schools (ATLAS)

The Accomplished Teaching, Learning and Schools (ATLAS) database is a valuable teaching tool that takes some of the mystery out of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification process, and provides pre-service and novice in-service teachers with a repository of best practices to use as models while they develop their own teaching practices. The database was specifically designed for Colleges and Schools of Education in higher education, state departments of education, and school districts to support the professional development of pre-service and in-service teachers. The content of the database is dependent on the subscriber’s geographic location, but includes over 1,000 cases aligned to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and its Five Core Propositions and six other collections including edTPA, InTASC, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), TeachingWorks High-Leverage Practices, Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts/Literacy and Math, Deeper Learning Competencies, and the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards. All cases include a 15 to 20 minute video of an accomplished teacher facilitating a lesson in his or her own classroom, written commentary analyzing the planning, instructional context, and effectiveness of the lesson, and additional background information and instructional materials to provide context for users to understand each case. All case materials were included in portfolios submitted by National Board Certified Teachers during their National Board candidacy. Despite its restrictive contract provisions, ATLAS’s content, intuitive user interface, powerful advanced search feature, and interactive tools make it a highly recommended resource for Colleges and Schools of Education within higher education, state departments of education, and K-12 school districts.

Impact of National Board for the Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification on student achievement

A growing number of teachers have undertaken National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification training since its inception over twenty-five years ago. Previous empirical research on the impact of NBCTs on student performance has focused on state or district-level exams in individual states and found mixed results. This study examines the relationship between National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and student achievement on the reading and math assessments of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). We argue that achievement can be affected both directly by the certified teacher and indirectly as NBCTs provide mentoring to colleagues and assume school leadership positions. This study focuses on a nationally representative assessment to measure student achievement rather than state- or district-level assessment exams. We find that the percentage of National Board certified teachers in a state is positively related to scores on state-level NAEP Reading and Math assessments.

Repertoire networks among national board-certified physical education teachers

Nearly three decades after its publication, A Nation at Risk continues to impact our educational establishment. Most notably, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards was established as a result of A Nation Prepared, Carnegie’s response to A Nation at Risk. Some contend that the national board has through its certification process fostered the emergence of communities of practice (CoP) among its certified teachers. This study attempted to identify this type of community among national board-certified physical education teachers. Sociometric and CoP survey data were collected from national board-certified physical education teachers within the state of South Carolina, followed by formal interviews. Results showed that an expansive CoP exists among these teachers, spanning nearly the entire state of South Carolina. This group of teachers was detected through use of sociometric software that facilitated the examination of pathways within this large network of board-certified teachers. Overall, this study provides strong support to the notion that the national board is, as a result of its certification process, fostering emergent CoPs among the participants in the current study.

Results of a State Incentive Program on the Supply and Distribution of National Board Certified Teachers

Investment in state incentive policies to support National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) prompt consideration of their distribution and retention. This study examines the results of a state’s incentive program for NBCTs, including a targeted bonus for those working in high-poverty schools. A quantitative analysis was conducted of state data using a longitudinal, multi-year design. The analysis included a comparison of NBCTs in high-poverty schools and in schools not identified for an additional bonus. Findings suggest that the proportion and overall supply of NBCTs in high-poverty schools increased over the three-year period. Policy implications regarding the use of incentives are discussed.

Career Tracks: National Board Certified Teacher

Career Tracks: National Board Certified Teacher

Connecting with Families

Feeling unprepared? Overwhelmed? Tap into some wisdom from National Board Certified Teachers and get up-to-speed with these practical tips on topics ranging from working with families to managing your classroom.

Effectiveness of National Board Certified (NBC) teachers in terms of classroom environment, attitudes and achievement among secondary science students

No previous research has employed learning environments criteria in evaluating the effectiveness of the system of teacher certification sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Because the litmus test of any professional development effort is the extent of the changes in teaching behaviours in participating teachers’ classrooms, our study drew on the field of learning environments in evaluating the effectiveness of National Board Certified (NBC) teachers in terms of their students’ perceptions of their classroom environments. A sample of 443 students in 21 Grade 8 and 10 science classes taught by NBC teachers in South Florida was compared with a matched group of 484 students in 17 classes taught by non-NBC teachers in terms of classroom environment (as assessed by the What Is Happening In this Class?) and students’ attitudes and achievement. Statistically significant differences (with small to medium effect sizes ranging from 0.14 to 0.35 standard deviations) were found in favour of NBC teachers for numerous classroom and environment scales (Teacher Support, Involvement, Task Orientation, Investigation and Cooperation) and for student attitudes.

The Impact of National Board Certification on Burnout Levels in Educators

Teacher retention has become a major issue facing policy makers as our nation's school-age population continues to grow while the teaching workforce continues to decline because of attrition and an aging workforce. Common reasons cited by teachers for leaving the profession can also be linked to burnout. This study examined burnout levels in a specific subset of teachers—those who achieved certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The potential benefits to teachers who pursue NBPTS certification include professional pride, recognition of outstanding teaching practice, new leadership roles and responsibilities, and higher salaries (Shapiro 1995). Some of these potential rewards seem to address a number of the factors that are related to the onset of burnout, and therefore may not only alleviate burnout but also impact retention rates. The study found that National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) demonstrated significantly lower levels of burnout in two of its three dimensions.

Exploring the Influence of National Board Certified Teachers in Their Schools and Beyond

Purpose: This article explores the relative influence over schoolwide policy and leadership activities of teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Interest centers on teacher leadership activities and perceived influence over schoolwide policy and decision making. In particular, the study asks whether National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) are engaged in leadership and influence that may be attributable to board certification. Method: Data come from a survey of the entire teaching faculties in 47 elementary schools in two states ( N = 1,282). Teacher perceived influence over schoolwide policy and participation in leadership activities were regressed on NBCT status, demographic and assignment characteristics, and inclination toward teacher leadership, controlling for schools with fixed effects. Findings: NBCTs engage in more leadership activities at both the school and district levels than their non-board certified peers. Yet, NBCTs do not report greater influence over schoolwide policy than their colleagues. Implications: The effect of NBCT status on opportunities for teacher leadership is complex, with NBCTs having the most effect on domains and activities closest to the classroom. The data also point to a potential paradox about the nature of teacher leadership as greater engagement in leadership activities does not lead to enhanced influence over schoolwide policy.

Possibilities and Potential for Improving Instructional Leadership: Examining the Views of National Board Teachers

The expectation for schools to continually improve outcomes for students underscores the importance of tapping teacher leaders' contributions in school improvement and renewal efforts. As National Board (NB) certification has become a common feature of state and district policies to improve teaching and learning, it is worthwhile to explore how this effort has shaped the context and contributions of teacher leadership. Both recent research and a statewide survey of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) suggest that NBCTs may be in a strong position to help support school improvement initiatives. Echoing other studies, findings indicate that NBCTs bring considerable leadership experience to their work and are willing to be engaged in activities necessary to improve teaching and learning. The authors discuss perceived barriers in assuming leadership roles and conclude with approaches that schools, districts, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards may take to better tap the leadership potential of accomplished teachers.