Students of board-certified teachers excel

The first large-scale study looking at the connection between student performance and board-certified teachers offers good news for supporters of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Researchers from the Urban Institute and the University of Washington analyzed more than 600,000 test scores in North Carolina—the state with the highest number of NBPTS-  certified teachers—and found measurable differences for students who have board-certified teachers.

Overall, these students improved an average of 7 percent more on year-end math and reading tests than students whose teachers attempted but failed to earn NBPTS certification. The gains were even greater for younger and lower-income students. Gains in reading for low-income students, for example, were 15 percent higher with board-certified teachers.

“Our findings indicate that NBPTS-certified teachers, based on student achievement gains, appear to be more effective than their noncertified counterparts,” the authors write, “and that NBPTS is successfully identifying the more effective teachers among NBPTS applicants.”

The AFT has supported the NBPTS since it was established in 1987. National certification was first awarded to successful applicants in 1995. As of November 2003, the board had certified about 32,000 teachers; more than 6,600 of them are in North Carolina.

NBPTS officials praised the results as strong support for certification, which costs $2,300 per applicant and requires countless hours of preparation and assessment in a process designed to measure what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. “At long last, we have clear evidence of how the nation can truly leave no child behind: National Board certified teachers are the way,” says NBPTS president Joseph Aguerrebere. “This study is welcome news to NBPTS as well as the 50 states and more than 500 school districts across the nation that have implemented policies and regulations to recruit, reward and retain National Board certified teachers.”

The study’s authors do raise questions about the cost-effectiveness of the NBPTS, once the large amount of money invested in the process over the years—including support for the board’s efforts, applicant registration fees and money to reward successful applicants—is taken into account. For instance, they say, if teachers do not remain in the profession longer after earning certification, “there would be no direct benefit from identifying which teachers were more effective.” But those issues are more for policymakers and administrators.

The full study is available on the Urban Institute’s Web site at www.urban.org.

AFT offers helpful tips for parents

A new AFT brochure, “Pathways to Success,” is designed specifically for parents. Available in Spanish as well as English, the pamphlet offers tips on helping children succeed in school. It includes academic tips in each core subject from prekindergarten through grade 12, and provides handy information for parents and guardians on many of the key issues affecting their children’s schools and education.

Topics include vocational education, the No Child Left Behind Act, standards and testing, and resources for English language learners and students with disabilities.

“Pathways to Success” also outlines the primary roles and responsibilities of a school system’s various components, such as principals, the school board, support staff and the teachers union.

For copies of the brochure, contact the AFT Order Department, 555 New Jersey Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20001. Ask for item #39-0471 (English) or #39-0471S (Spanish). The cost is $15 per 100 copies.