Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/54552
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 6,200 Teachers Earn National Board Certification: Total Nears 100,000 National Board Certification – the "gold stan- dard" for teaching excellence – was celebrated on December 7, 2011, at a White House event heralding the newest class of 6,200 board certi- fied teachers, which brings to nearly 100,000 the total number of board certified teachers in the U.S. Adding 80 new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), Arizona ranks 20th na- tionwide this year with a total number of 847 NBCTs. "National Board Certification is still the zenith in professional development for educa- tors and the research is there to prove it," says AEA President Andrew F. Morrill. "The improve- ment of teaching methods and practices that National Board Certification produces benefits all educators. It shows us that teaching is not only a profession but a specific skill." "National board certification is synonymous with great teaching. While our nation is focused on the need for the highest quality teachers, board certification truly is the gold standard," said Ronald Thorpe, president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and White House Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes welcomed a group of the newly certified teachers to the White House last month with remarks focused on how the National Board process can lead to improved instruction and enhanced leadership in the profession. Former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise, who chairs the NBPTS, said, "These highly qualified teachers are true 'nation builders' and 24 Spring 2012 x AEA Advocate are positioned to lead the ground-up move- ment necessary to help students reach their full potential." Thorpe referred to two recent studies show- ing that more than half (55 percent) of all board certified teachers work in high-need schools (according to the National Center for Education Statistics) and to a National Research Council report that found students who were taught by board certified teachers show higher gains on achievement tests than those taught by other teachers. NBPTS is recognized as the source for the highest standards and practices that lead to im- proved teaching, leading, and learning. A volun- tary assessment program designed to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teach- ers, and to embed ongoing school improve- ment in schools nationwide, National Board Certification is achieved through performance- based assessment and testing that takes one to three years to complete. While state teacher credentialing programs set the basic requirements to teach in each state, National Board Certified Teachers must demonstrate advanced teaching knowledge, skills, and practices. Completion of the NBPTS certification pro- cess signifies that teachers have developed and demonstrated the skills required of an accom- plished education professional. By completing the certification renewal process, these ac- complished teachers show that they continue to meet the nation's highest teaching standards. NBPTS is also impacting education nation-