In a shocker that has important implications in Kentucky, the Washington Post today announced that DC’s schools’ leader, Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, is dropping district support for teachers seeking certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Rhee cites a lack of evidence that this expensive and time-consuming program produces better student achievement.
The Post also says Cheryl Krehbiel, Rhee's top deputy for professional development and a NBPTS certified teacher, admits links between NBPTS certification and student performance are weak.
The reason this is important to Kentucky is that taxpayers here provide extra stipends for teachers who have NBPTS certification, and Kentucky also supports those teachers getting certified.
In this time of fiscal austerity, if the NBPTS program isn’t providing much, or any, bang for the buck, as DC educators allege, we need to investigate that right away.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Washington DC Superintendent – National Teacher Certification Doesn’t Improve Student Performance
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6 comments:
Mr. Innes has a point. Why should we pay more to have a teacher NBPTS certified if our children are not benefitting from them? A study should be done to determine if there is a link between the two and if so the extra stipends and support should be stopped, just like in DC.
Chancellor Rhee is moving too fast here. There just haven't been sufficient studies yet to conclude the impact that National certification has on student achievement, though the general trend appears positive. I work very closely with a program that supports and encourages teachers to pursue National Board Certification. I can say--anectdotally, of course--that pursuing National Certification is a fantastic experience for teachers. It challenges them to think critically about their practice--and their impact on students--in ways that should be the norm for all teachers. NBCT is something conservatives and libertarians can and should support, at least until more research has been conducted.
Brushfire says the numbers of studies on NBPTS certification are insufficient to draw conclusions.
Given that the first certifications were handed out way back in 1987 (yes, 22 years ago), that lack of research by itself becomes a red flag at this point.
Actually, while they may not be as numerous as Brushfire would like, there have been a number of studies on NBPTS. So far, all the ones I've seen show, at best, only a very modest amount of benefit from the program where it counts – student learning.
In addition, the National Assessment of Educational Progress reported on performance of NBPTS versus non-NBPTS students in reading in 2002 and 2003 and math in 2003. In general, averaged across the nation, the scores for students of certified teachers are about the same as those of teachers who are not certified. However, the results for 2002 and 2003 Grade 4 reading results generally favor non-certified teachers. The NAEP scale score for Kentucky's certified teachers' students in reading in 2003 is only 213 while for Kentucky's non-certified teachers' students it is much higher at 220.
Sadly, NAEP stopped reporting the NBPTS score breakouts after 2003 – yet another questionable move from the education world.
In any event, given the very serious budget shortfall Kentucky is dealing with, some tough choices are inevitable, and the lack of convincing evidence after years of this program's operation indicates NBPTS certification should be on the table for discussion.
I have no problem with the idea that cutting NBCT incentives should be up for consideration. Given our overspending at the state level, everything should be up for consideration. But as far as what the research says, last summer the National Research Council published a report (at the request of Congress), that reviewed the extant research studies on national certification and concluded that NBPTS-certified teachers do indeed have a measurable, positive impact on student achievement. Whole report available here: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12224#toc
RE: Brushfire’s second post.
I suggest you check out the following comment on page 7 in the executive summary of the NRC report you referenced (Click on the PDF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY link on this page http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12224&page=R8)
“Findings from these studies show that, in both states, students taught by board-certified teachers had higher achievement test gains than did those taught by nonboard-certified teachers, although the differences were small and varied by state.” (Emphasis added)
Later in the same paragraph it says,
“We see a relationship between board certification and student achievement, although the relationship is not strong and is not consistent across contexts.”
That is exactly in agreement with what I said earlier. Any benefit of National Board certification noted in any studies is small at best. That is true of this NRC study, as well.
Given the high costs of the program, on a “bang for the buck” basis, National Board certification may not be cost-effective.
Here is my tale.
I was in the US Army Band for 15 years as a professional trombonist. I performed worldwide, starting various groups, conducting seminars with high school students, performing for dignitaries to include presidents. I went to college after my tenure in the military and received my BA in Music Education. However, I took the Praxis tests required by the state of Virginia and missed the math score by 2 points. I passed all of the other tests for certification with flying colors. Turns out that all sorts of people couldn't pass the math test either. The local newspaper in Lynchburg ran a series of articles on these tests. It turns out that a retired Major General couldn't pass the test either. I also knew a woman with a Master's degree that couldn't pass it too.
I guess despite my extensive musical background and the fact that I graduated with the highest instrumental scores in my class at the military's school of music wasn't good enough for the genius state of Virginia. By the way, when I left there, the local paper ran a series of articles on how the state had to hire full time substitutes to teach. No duh.
I took my Praxis scores to the State of Kentucky where the scores were lower and I got a job at a school that was so hard up for a teacher the principal drove 45 minutes to interview me. Yeah, you read that right. When I got to the school the official placed me into another program that I had to complete in my first year of teaching called Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP) I completed my first year at that school which was sheer hell. I knew there was a problem when the principal drove all that way to interview me. Located way out in the sticks I as faced with teen pregnancies, breaking up fights (mostly girls) and students that did not hesitate to tell me to F*** off whenever they felt like it.
However, the county that I worked for never submitted the KTIP observations (a large project requiring teachers to come all the way from Louisville to watch me as well as a teacher from the school) so I never received any certification. As a result, I took on a job at a private school in Lexington.
It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. I now teach in paradise. My classes have about 20 students each and I am treated with respect and dignity. These kids are so nice to me and I am able to not only be their teacher but I can honestly be their friend. We have a tough curriculum and our students are held accountable as we teach them academics as well as responsibility, manners and morals. I would do anything for these kids because we respect each other.
In my opinion, it was my gain and the system's loss. I am currently getting my Master's degree in Education Technology and I am able to transfer all of these skills into our school which has been able to invest in technology. We have a blast in this school and the students as well as the parents ( along with the observations by our staff) have been very positive.
So, as I said before, it is the state's loss and not mine. I guess the the leadership needs to take a test on common sense.
Elmo
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