Case Studies: Overview | INTASC | The Framework for Teaching | NBPTS
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization. It advances the quality of teaching and learning by developing professional standards for accomplished teaching; creating and administering National Board Certification, a voluntary system to certify teachers who meet those standards; and integrating certified teachers into educational reform efforts. The mission of NBPTS is to improve teaching and learning through:
- 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 in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs)
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards website
NBPTS has created standards of good teaching and a performance-based assessment system. These key elements are discussed in greater detail below.
Standards of Good Teaching
Soon after NBPTS was created in 1987, the organization issued its first policy statement, What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do. The report lays out five core propositions that form the foundation upon which all National Board work is founded.
- Teachers are committed to students and their learning. Accomplished teachers believe that all students can learn, treat all students equitably, understand how they develop and learn, and develop character and civic responsibility.
- Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students. Accomplished teachers master the subject(s) they teach and use diverse strategies to ensure all students learn.
- Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. Accomplished teachers provide effective instruction, know how to organize instruction to ensure student engagement, and use multiple measures for student growth.
- Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience. Accomplished teachers model for their students what it means to be an educated person, are familiar with learning theories and strategies, and critically examine and reflect on their practice on a continual basis.
- Teachers are members of learning communities. Accomplished teachers collaborate with their peers to improve student learning and know how to work collaboratively with parents to involve them in their child’s education.
A Performance-Based Assessment System
NBPTS offers 25 certificates in 16 content areas, addressing a variety of subject areas and student developmental levels. Addressing what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, NBPTS assessments are based on the standards in each certification area. The standards, assessments, scoring criteria, and assessor components of the assessment system are highlighted below.
Standards
NBPTS standards committees are comprised of educators who are experts in their field. A majority of committee members are practicing classroom teachers; other committee members represent higher education, local and state education agencies, and national organizations. The committee develops standards that reflect the five core propositions and identifies the knowledge, skills, and attitudes accomplished teachers should demonstrate in the specific discipline. This development process results in a final version of the standards, which is distributed to the education community for public comment prior to submission to the NBPTS Board of Directors for adoption and publication. See below for standards organized by discipline and developmental level.
Assessment
All candidates for National Board Certification are required to complete two assessment components – a portfolio of classroom practice and an assessment of content knowledge.
- Portfolio. The portfolio consists of four entries: One classroom-based entry that includes student work; two classroom-based entries that require video recordings documenting interactions between the teacher and the students; and one entry documenting evidence of accomplishments outside the classroom and how these accomplishments impact student learning.
- Assessment. The online assessment component of National Board Certification asks candidates to demonstrate content knowledge in response to six exercises developed and designed by practicing professionals in the certificate area. Assessments are administered at over 300 computer-based testing centers across the United States.
More information for interested candidates is available here.
Scoring Criteria
Portfolios and assessment center exercises are scored against NBPTS standards. Scoring rubrics are available for each portfolio entry and assessment center exercise in all certificate areas, offering guidance to candidates in developing portfolio entries and in preparing for assessment center exercises. Candidates are urged to use these criteria as they prepare for National Board Certification.
Trained Assessors
Portfolios are evaluated by experienced peer assessors who meet the following criteria:
- Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
- Have taught in a pre-K-12 setting for a minimum of three years
- Are current in the certificate area domain and developmental level for which they score responses
- Hold a valid teaching license required by the state in which they are actively teaching
- Successfully complete the assessor training, which requires them to meet a certain level of assessor reliability
- Guide to National Board Certification. This guide provides an overview of the process of applying to be an NBCT and details the eligibility requirements.
- Assessment at a Glance. This guide provides information to help candidates choose the right certificate and provides an overview of the standards, assessment and scoring in the content area and developmental level of interest.
- General Portfolio Instructions. These instructions detail the criteria for evaluation and the process candidates use to submit portfolios.
- Candidate Support. A wide variety of candidate support systems are available across the country. These systems have helped educators to develop professional learning communities focused on improved teaching and learning.
- Certificate Areas. NBPTS offers 25 certificates that cover a variety of subject areas and student developmental levels and are applicable to more than 95 percent of America’s teachers.