Assessing Accomplished Teaching Advanced-Level Certification Programs (2008) / Chapter Skim
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10 The Effects of Certification on the Education System
10 The Effects of Certification on the Education System
Pages 210-222
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From page 210... ...
The founders envisioned (Carnegie Task Force on Teaching as a Profession, 1986; National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, 1991) : • A growing cadre of board-certified teachers would serve as leaders in their schools and districts, working to improve instruction and sharing their expertise with other teachers through informal col legial relationships, formal mentoring activities, and participation in professional development programs.
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From page 211... ...
b. Has the board-certification program had any effects on: • the course content, methods of preparation, and assessments used in teacher education programs or • the content of and strategies used in inservice training and professional development for practicing teachers?
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From page 212... ...
Researchers may see signs that particular changes have occurred but lack suitable indicators with which to measure them. For example, suppose that board-certified teachers were indeed influencing their colleagues in a positive way or that increasing numbers of teacher education programs were relying on NBPTS standards in developing their curricula.
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From page 213... ...
. Yet the national board prizes collaboration and reflection and also identifies and rewards exemplary teachers.
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From page 214... ...
provide some evidence that board-certified teachers participate in mentoring and leadership activities within their school system. In both studies, the majority of survey respondents indicated that they are involved in such activities as mentoring other teachers, serving as team leaders in their schools, developing curriculum materials for the school system, providing professional development activities, and supporting other national board candidates as they undergo the certification process.
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From page 215... ...
The authors report that more than 90 percent of the teachers surveyed said they were no more influential than other teachers on such matters as selecting curriculum and materials, advising on professional development programs, teacher hiring and evaluation, advising on budget, and determining the focus of school reform efforts. Interviews with board-certified teachers and their colleagues led the authors to conclude that there is a culture of "individualism and egalitarianism that remains alive in the profession." Board-certified teachers reported that they are often given the cold shoulder by nonboard-certified teachers, and nearly 43 percent agreed that "my school culture is not welcoming of teachers stepping into leadership positions." The authors found that board-certified teachers actually go to considerable lengths to downplay any distinctions between themselves and their nonboard-certified colleagues, sometimes even concealing the fact that they have earned the credential.
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From page 216... ...
certification in 1999 sample consisted of those who responded by a specific date. willing to lead professional development activities elsewhere but not at their own school with the colleagues with whom they worked each day.
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From page 217... ...
generally positive about the experience, although they were reluctant to state that board certification signaled a level of competence that set them apart from their colleagues. The nonboard-certified teachers tended to think there was no difference between those who were board certified and themselves, sometimes citing stories of well-qualified teachers who tried and did not pass or less qualified teachers who passed.
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From page 218... ...
Earning board certification is not a requirement for becoming a lead teacher, but having the credential increases a teacher's chances of receiving this designation. Effects on Teacher Preparation The Carnegie task force intended that the national board-certification program and its standards for accomplished teachers would have a signifi
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From page 219... ...
Thus, the committee sought information about whether the national board certification program has had any effects on the content, methods of preparation, and assessment of candidates in initial teacher education programs or in advanced programs for teachers, such as master's degree programs. Two organizations that influence the content of teacher preparation programs have worked to align their standards with those of the national board.
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From page 220... ...
Since earning board certification, she has worked to incorporate NBPTS standards into the courses she teaches. She relies on the standards when preparing her course syllabi, and she explicitly includes reflective writing, analysis of videotaped lessons, and collaborative discussions in her graduate courses for teachers.
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From page 221... ...
This literature also indicates that a consensus seems to be emerging about the key features that make professional development effective, such as opportunities for teachers to work as a group and to develop their learning over an extended period of time; opportunities for active learning; a focus on content; and links among the professional development activities, the curricula with which the teachers are working, and the standards they are using. These newer findings regarding professional development seem to reinforce many of the elements recommended by the national board.
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From page 222... ...
There is a stark contrast between the particularly ambitious goals of the Carnegie task force and the very modest spread of the national board certification program. We could find no studies or evidence to answer questions about why the national board has not become more deeply ingrained in the U.S.
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