Center for Teaching Excellence
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Edward G. Rendell
Governor
Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed.
Secretary
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Shawn Barry NBCT 2004
English Language Arts
Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Millcreek Township School District
Erie County
“The National Board process has
been the most important and
influential process that I have
completed in my career. Through
reflection and analysis, I am
better able to discern what is
effective and meaningful for my
students. Being involved in the
National Board process has
changed how I view teaching and
myself as a teacher.”
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
The Five Core Propositions
1. Teachers are committed to students and their
learning.
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to
teach those subjects to students.
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and
monitoring student learning.
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice
and learn from experience.
5. Teachers are members of learning communities.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Common Standards
 knowledge
of students
 knowledge of content/field
 instructional resources
 learning environment
 equity, fairness and diversity
 assessment
 collaboration with families and community
 professional responsibilities
 analysis of the teacher and his/her practice as a reflective
learner
Teacher Self Analysis
Key Aspects
of This
Standard
Clear, Consistent,
Evidence of My
Demonstration of
This Standard
Possible
Improvements
My Improvement
Plan
Portfolio Entries
 #1
-- Student work + materials + written commentary
 #2 – Video of whole class discussion + written commentary
 #3 – Video of small group instruction + written commentary
 #4 – 8 major accomplishments demonstrating student
impact of:
 Partnerships
with families and community
 Collaboration with other educators
 Professional development
Portfolio Written Commentaries
 DESCRIPTIVE
 ANALYTIC
 REFLECTIVE
 CLEAR
 CONSISTENT
 CONVINCING
 STUDENT
EVIDENCE
IMPACT
 DEMONSTRATION
THAT ENTRY
OF STANDARDS THAT ARE FOCUS OF
Assessment Center Exercises
Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Mathematics
Exercise 1: Algebra -- Candidates will demonstrate
knowledge of theoretical, graphical, and symbolic
representations of functions, and the interrelationships that
exist between two concepts in Algebra.
Exercise 2: Calculus -- Candidates will demonstrate
knowledge of limits and continuity, differentiation and
integration, and the ability to apply the knowledge to
meaningful situations.
Exercise 3: Discrete Mathematics -- Candidates will
demonstrate knowledge of sequence and series, probability,
and counting theory.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Assessment Center Exercises
Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Mathematics
 Exercise
4: Geometry -- Candidates will demonstrate the ability to use
deductive reasoning to construct a proof, explain the interrelationships
between two important concepts in Geometry, and apply measurement
formulas to a three-dimensional figure generated by the rotation of a
two-dimensional figure about an axis.
 Exercise
5: Statistics and Data Analysis -- Candidates will
demonstrate knowledge of Statistics and Data Analysis to graph a
normal distribution of a given situation and find various probabilities;
identify and explain types of association, effects on trend lines, and
values of correlation coefficients; graph and provide a numerical
analysis of given data; and explain an important statistical concept.
 Exercise
6: Technology -- Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of
the appropriate use of technology that will support instructional goals,
and errors and limitations associated with graphing calculators.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT’s) by State
WA
2717
OR
227
ID
347
NV
385
CA
4240
MT
74
UT
161
AZ
556
ND
30
WY
198
CO
398
WI
589
IA
627
NE
70
KS
297
OK
2307
TX
472
AK
103
MN
319
SD
66
NM
387
NH
VT 18 ME
110
154
MO
490
AR
1116
LA
1389
MI
272
NY
880
PA
OH
496
IL
IN
2932 WV
3191 137
VA
422
1765
KY 1608
NC 14211
TN 338
SC
6498
AL
GA
MS
1546 2503
2897
MA 474
RI 338
CT 132
NJ 173
DE 430
MD 1364
DC 47
FL
12670
HI
203
Nearly 74,000 NBCTs
As of December 9, 2008
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
So What is NBPTS?
 National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards
a
nonpartisan, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization
created in 1987
 offers
a voluntary, national assessment program for
preK-12 classroom teachers
 generously
supported by federal, state, corporate and
foundation funds
 governed
by a board of directors, most of whom are
teachers
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
NBPTS: History
Two landmark reports:
A Nation at Risk (1983)
A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century
1986
The Report of the Task Force on Teaching as a Profession
Recommended raising the standards for teachers by
creating a National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards
Recommended redefining teaching as a career

Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
NBPTS Mission
To advance the quality of teaching and learning by:
 maintaining
high and rigorous standards for what
accomplished teachers should know and be able to do
 providing
a national, voluntary system certifying teachers
who meet these standards
 advocating
related education reforms to integrate National
Board Certification into American education and capitalize
on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
National Board Certification
 recognizes
experienced educators for the quality of their
practice
 signifies that a teacher or school counselor:
 is
accomplished
 has met challenging professional standards as evidenced by
performance-based assessments
 is
a powerful professional development experience based on
high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers
and school counselors should know and be able to do
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Scoring
 based
on evidence submitted by candidates
 video
recordings
 student work samples
 candidate analysis – descriptive, analytic and reflective
 response to assessment center prompts
 No
one teaching or counseling approach is mandated or
rewarded.
 Each portfolio entry’s instructions contain criteria by which
the entry will be scored.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Scoring Results and Feedback
 reflect
the degree to which assessors were able to locate
clear, consistent, and convincing evidence that the candidate
has met the Standards specific to his/her certificate field
 Only the evidence provided is evaluated.
 Final total weighted score is computed.
 must meet the performance standard of 275 points
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Score Report Example
ENTRY OR EXERCISE NAME
RAW EXERCISE SCORE (RES)
WEIGHT (W)
Portfolio Entry 1
3.000
16.00
48.00
Portfolio Entry 2
2.375
16.00
38.00
Portfolio Entry 3
2.625
16.00
42.00
Portfolio Entry 4
2.500
12.00
30.00
Assessment Center Exercise 1
2.750
6.67
18.34
Assessment Center Exercise 2
3.000
6.67
20.01
Assessment Center Exercise 3
2.375
6.67
15.84
Assessment Center Exercise 4
2.500
6.67
16.67
Assessment Center Exercise 5
1.750
6.67
11.67
Assessment Center Exercise 6
3.375
6.67
22.51
Sum of Scaled Scores:
WEIGHTED SCALED SCORE (RES X W)
263
Uniform Constant:
12
TOTAL WEIGHTED SCALED
SCORE
275
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Score Banking and Retakes
 Portfolio
entry and assessment exercise scores are banked.
 may continue to attempt certification for 24 months from
date on initial score report
 may retake any combination of portfolio entries and/or
assessment entries on which did not meet the entry/exercise
performance standard
 original entry/exercise score will be replaced with the new
score, even if new score is lower
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Certificate Renewal
 National
Board Certification is awarded for ten years.
 may only renew in original certificate area
 must complete before original certificate expires
 can apply in 8th, 9th, or 10th year of certification
 complete a Profile of Professional Growth
 Renewal candidates show the connections they make
between their continued professional growth and student
learning.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Who is Eligible?
Qualified applicants must have:
 at
least 3 years’ experience as a preK-12 classroom teacher or school
counselor in a public or state-approved nonpublic school
 a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
 a valid, unencumbered teaching license, or a license to practice as a
school counselor (if applying for the School Counseling Certificate),
where required
 NOTE – PA funding of $1250 of the $2500 candidate fee is only
available to
 Teachers and school counselors who are PA residents
 Teachers and school counselors who are currently serving in PA
schools
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Why Become a NBCT?
 NBCTs
attest to the positive effects the National Board Certification
process has on their teaching practice.
 NBCTs
work with advanced professional standards and standardsbased assessments of pedagogy and content knowledge.
 NBCTs
develop new ways to help students learn.
 Having
a national certification system contributes to the enhancement
and credibility of teaching and school counseling as professions
willing to hold themselves accountable to high standards.
 Achievement
of this highest symbol of professional teaching
excellence will be recognized by colleagues, administrators, parents
and community members.
 Research indicates that NBCTs positively impact student learning.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Beth Cerulo NBCT 2002
Social Studies History
Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Millcreek Township School District
Erie County
“National Board Certification is a
process that continues long after
official certification is granted. It
has enhanced the way I view my
responsibilities as a teacher by
helping me to analyze and focus
on how each teaching decision I
make impacts student learning.
Using my own classroom practice
makes this process relevant and
rewarding.”
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Why Become a NBCT?
(Candidates report that the process takes 200 to 600 hours to
complete.)
 To be successful teachers must examine their skills and
knowledge and be willing to take an honest look at their
teaching practices to evaluate both strengths and areas for
improvement.
 Most agree that going through the process revolutionized
their approach to the challenge of teaching.
 They became more reflective and improved their practice by
making changes that improved student learning.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
National Board Certified Teachers
as Leaders
 improve
student learning
 serve as instructional leaders and model effective teaching
practice in their schools and districts
 understand and promote standards-based learning
 earn a greater voice in deciding what happens in their
classrooms and schools
 are often recognized as leaders of their profession by their
school districts and their colleagues
 build a collaborative learning community in their school
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
National Research Council
 Committee
on Evaluation of Teacher Certification by the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
 2008, 340 page report after Congressionally-mandated 30month study
 To evaluate the effectiveness and impact of National Board
Certification
 “Assessing Accomplished Teaching …”
 Addresses issues:
 Impact
on teachers who obtain, attempt but are unsuccessful, and
who do not apply
 Impact on student achievement
 Cost-effectiveness
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
National Research Council
 Teachers
who earn board certification are more effective at
improving their students’ achievement than other teachers.
 improves teacher retention
 considered a powerful professional development experience
 School systems vary greatly in the extent to which they
recognize and make use of board-certified teachers.
 The report makes recommendations for the kind of research
that is needed to fully evaluate the impact of board
certification by the NBPTS.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Research
More than 150 studies have examined National Board
Certification and the majority (75%) found NBCTs make a
significantly measurable impact on teacher performance and
student learning, engagement and achievement.
 Students
of NBCTs score 7-15 percentage points higher on yearend tests.
 More math NBCTs helped their students achieve larger testing
gains in 9th and 12th grades than their non-certified colleaguesdemonstrating particular benefits among special needs, AfricanAmerican, and Hispanic students.
 Students of NBCTs exhibit deeper learning outcomes more
frequently than students of non-NBCTs.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Pennsylvania Funding
Available
First Time Candidates – Federal Funding


As funding enables, the Pennsylvania Department of Education will
utilize federal NBPTS Candidate Subsidy funds to award qualified
candidates 50% of the $2500 certification fee in the form of a
scholarship totaling $1250.
Deadline to apply -- December 14 annually
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Pennsylvania Funding
Available
First Time Candidates – State Funding
 In 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania awarded scholarships in $1250 increments
(50% of the tuition cost) per qualified candidate based on
established criteria.
 As funding enables, PA will continue this funding of ½ of
first-time candidate fees.
 Funding will be available to PA residents serving as
teachers or school counselors in PA public schools.
 PA Deadline to apply -- December 14 annually
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Pennsylvania Funding
Available
First Time Candidates – State Funding
 In future years, there will probably be a cap on the # of
candidates that may be funded by the state.
 Priority certificate areas:
Early Childhood Education
Math or Science Secondary
 Priority Schools: Candidates teaching in any school that
has been identified as Needs Improvement or in
Corrective Action under the NCLB AYP Program
definitions
 All other funds will be awarded to all NBPTS certificate
areas on a first-come first-served basis.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Pennsylvania Funding
Available
Advance Candidates
 The
Pennsylvania Department of Education will provide
up to $700 in state subsidy funds to eligible advance
candidates to retake up to two entries/exercises per year of
eligibility, as funding enables.
note – In the 2009-2010 retake cycle,
the PDE will provide $350 in state subsidy funds
to eligible advance candidates to retake one
entry/exercise.
 Funding
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Pennsylvania Funding Available
Candidate Release Time
 As
funding enables, the state will provide reimbursement to school
districts for substitutes for National Board candidates, to complete
their National Board Certification activities.


up to three days
up to $100/day
 School
districts are not required to grant leave for candidates.
 School districts may request reimbursement at
www.education.duq.edu/nbpts.
note – in the 2009-2010 candidate cycle, funds
for substitute reimbursement will not be available.
 Funding
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Pennsylvania
Centers for Teaching Excellence
 four
geographically distributed centers:
 Gannon
 East
University, Erie
Stroudsburg University
 Duquesne
 Temple
University
University
 established
fall of 2006 by the Pennsylvania Department of
Education
 provide
information about National Board Certification
 support
pre-candidates, candidates, and advance candidates for
National Board Certification
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Pennsylvania
Centers for Teaching Excellence
Process Support
 Awareness:
providing information on National Board
Certification and Pennsylvania support for candidates to
teachers, school administrators, school board members,
parents, and community members
 Recruitment:
working with administrators and other groups
to increase candidate numbers in Pennsylvania
 Candidate
Support: providing guidance and support to
candidates as they apply for certification, build their
portfolios, and prepare for Assessment Center exercises
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
2010 - 2011
Candidacy Calendar
 NBPTS
Applications Open
 NBPTS Application deadline
 PA Application deadline
 portfolio submission deadline
 complete Assessment Center
exercises
 January
 receive
 December
scores no later than
1, 2010
 December 31, 2010
 December 14, 2010
 March 31, 2011
 January 4 - June 15, 2011
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
31, 2011
Center for Teaching Excellence
Gannon University
 two
support programs, available at no cost, awarding 90 Act
48 hours each, have been developed:
Candidate Preparation I – each spring or summer
 NBPTS Candidate Preparation III – each fall
 NBPTS
 also
available for three graduate credits each
 can be the 2 electives in a Master of Education in
Curriculum and Instruction; cohort could be formed in this
region
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Center for Teaching Excellence
Gannon University





NBPTS Candidate Preparation I
foundation for understanding the National Board concept of master
teaching
exploration of the NBPTS Five Core Propositions
in-depth study of content area specific standards and how they relate
to the propositions and to development of the NBPTS portfolio
practice writing about teaching and student work in the required
descriptive, analytic and reflective styles
application of these writing styles in preparing a draft of Portfolio
Entry 4: Documented Accomplishments
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Center for Teaching Excellence
Gannon University
NBPTS Candidate Preparation III
 support as participants complete NBPTS portfolio entries and prepare
for assessment center testing
 exploration of the decision making process in order to analyze entry
choices in relation to the NBPTS Standards and the practice of master
teaching.
 development of personal goal calendars
 preparation of classroom-based portfolio entries, which participants
will analyze, self-score, and share
 submission of completed portfolios to NBPTS as a final course
requirement.
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016
Candidate Prep I in IU10
a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
 Saturdays
 March 6, March 20, April 17, and May 1 – 2010
 Bellefonte High School
 “Blended” support program
 Online collaboration between face to face sessions
 Facilitator – Dr. Kristen Dewitt, NBCT
*************************
 Group would continue with Dr. Dewitt in Prep III in
Fall/Winter 2010
 9:30
Planning for Further Awareness
in the IU10 Region
Discussions
with district administrative teams
After school informational sessions in 3-4
sites around the region
Weeks available:
November 2-6
November 16-20
January

Center for Teaching Excellence
Gannon University
Linda S. Cook, Director
Phone: (814) 871 – 5358
or 1-800-GANNON-U, ask for ext 5358
E-mail: cook027@gannon.edu
Web site: www.gannon.edu/nbpts
AJ Palumbo Academic Center Room 2019
Center for Teaching Excellence
March 15, 2016